BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion pink
by siennahime-sama
Summary: from brothers conflict game
1. Chapter 1 Kaname

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Kaname

Kaname is the 3rd son of the Asahina family, 26 years old. He's a Buddhist monk who doesn't act like one, and he absolutely loves hitting on every girl who walks into his field of vision. Due to his flashy appearance and attitude, he looks more like a professional host instead. Kaname is infamous for what he calls "gracious words", and the number of women who wish to hear this suspicious subject is never-ending. He hits on Ema right from their very first encounter.

** [ Coming Home in the Morning? ] **

****When Ema enters the living room on June 5, she finds Kaname leaning against the couch. She asks if he's not feeling well, and he uses this chance to hit on her right away. After explaining that he was only sleeping, Kaname says Ema is so kind for worrying about him.. and he loves kind girls. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Ema quickly returns the subject to why he's sleeping in the living room, and Kaname says he just came home earlier. He came to the 5th floor looking for something to eat, but he ended up sleeping on the couch instead. When Ema asks if he returned home in the morning due to his job, Kaname vaguely answers with "well, a lot of stuff happened last night" and she knows it probably has.. erm, a deeper meaning. He also says yes when Ema asks if he's busy with work, but then Tsubaki appears and tells him not to lie.

After cheerfully greeting Ema, Tsubaki says that Kaname probably spent the whole night with a "follower" of the Buddhist temple he works at. Kaname also admits that it's true, because it's his job as a monk. Tsubaki answers that normally followers won't spend all night with a monk, and he starts wondering what they did until morning comes. When Kaname says he was just spreading "gracious words" to them, Tsubaki immediately replies that it's his "special move" — telling Ema to be careful. It's definitely not "gracious", and she will only get eaten by Kaname in the end.. because his "gracious words" are actually pick-up lines he uses to capture women's hearts. (*ﾉ∀｀)ﾟo｡ｱﾋｬｬ Kaname protests that Tsubaki keeps on destroying his image, but Ema tells him not to worry. It's already ruined anyway! ＼(^o^)／ Tsubaki also says that Kaname is brimming with lust, Kaname denies it because "lust" means being driven towards insanity by a strong desire. He's simply seducing all the ladies with smart moves, so it's not lust.

Ema responds to this by going "wow what a wonderful argument ( ಠ_ಠ )", and Kaname tries to get back at her by saying he'll whisper "gracious words" to her all night long.. but thankfully for Ema, Ukyou soon comes to stop Kaname from going wild. After scolding both Kaname and Tsubaki for troubling her, Ukyou asks Ema to just leave "these fools" and cook breakfast with him. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Kaname still tries to kiss Ema when she offers to make some tea for him, but Ukyou quickly punches his head — telling him to disappear until breakfast is ready.

** [ At the Night Beach ] **

For summer vacation, everyone goes on a family trip to Miwa's private island.

On the second day of the trip, August 12, Wataru suddenly goes missing in the afternoon. He actually only fell asleep while playing hide and seek with Juli, but everyone is sent into a panic and splits up to search for him. Ema follows Kaname to check the streets, and it starts raining along the way. Ema starts sneezing because of the cold temperature, but since she insists to keep on searching, Kaname then hugs her to keep her warm. He quietly thanks her for caring so much about Wataru, but he also cares about her as a little sister, so he doesn't want her to force herself so much. Ukyou soon comes to inform them that Wataru has been found, and so they return to the cottage after that.. but that night, Ema can't sleep at all since her mind is full of Kaname. ﾟ+.(*ﾉωヾ*)ｬﾝ +ﾟ He finds her roaming around the lounge late at night, and he asks if she wants to come for a night walk outside.

Kaname then takes Ema to the beach, where they enjoy the night breeze along with the sound of waves together. After gazing at the sea in silence, Kaname tells Ema that he loves the night sea. They can't see the horizon when it's dark, and he feels like he's been thrown into a wide, empty space. Standing before the greatness of nature makes him realize that humans are only a small, weak existence living with God's blessings, and all of their doubts and worries feel so trifling in comparison. That's why from time to time, he goes to gaze at the night sea and empty out his heart. Ema finds it surprising that Kaname thinks about something like this, admitting that she always thinks his head is filled with nothing but girls. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Ema also admits that dark places like the night sea makes her feel scared, but Kaname gently says it's okay. He will come to save her before she cries, just like how she searched for Wataru earlier. Kaname then thanks Ema, saying he's glad to have her as a sister. At the same time, Ema also realizes that behind his carefree exterior, Kaname is a very kind person.

However, the situation immediately changes when Kaname walks into the water. He trips on a seaweed, and he pulls Ema along as the punishment for laughing at him. The moment she gets up, Ema finds Kaname sitting right in front of her.. and she starts feeling ﾄﾞｷ(*´・ω・`*)ﾄﾞｷ again upon remembering what happened between them at noon. Just then she notices something on his collarbone, which turns out to be a tattoo. Kaname seems surprised when Ema asks if it's a cross, but then he answers it's a short sword. She apologizes since it would be strange for a Buddhist monk to have a cross, and he tells her the phrase "pens are mightier than swords." Despite the proverb, Kaname says there's something which is even more powerful than pens or swords — it's love. Before Ema could realize what's going on, he moves closer and kisses her on the lips. Σ(・д・ﾉ)ﾉ! He just emptied out his heart earlier, but now he wants to fill it with her. Kaname asks if it's okay, but Ema answers by pushing him away and running back to the cottage. She can hear his voice calling out to her, but she doesn't turn back.

**[ Special Place ] **

After what happened at the beach, Ema has been avoiding Kaname even at home. She starts spacing out too, and she gets nervous whenever he's around. During dinner on August 22, he asks her to pass the soy sauce and she drops the bottle when their fingers touch — spraying the contents to poor Yusuke. ＼(^o^)／ Kaname gives Yusuke a piece of cloth to wipe off the soy sauce, but it turns out to be Yusuke's T-shirt LOL. When and how Kaname got the T-shirt is a mystery though. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ At night, Kaname suddenly visits Ema and invites her to join him for a drive — he'll take her to a nice place. Since she's clearly doubting him, Kaname says he only wants Ema to see the beautiful view from that place. If she doesn't trust him, she can inform Ukyou first and have him check up on them every 30 minutes. When Ema finally agrees, Kaname admits he was worried that she would refuse.. since she's been acting really cold to him lately. She also says they don't have to tell Ukyou, and he promises that she won't regret coming along with him.

From there, Kaname takes Ema to a hill with a beautiful night view. When Ema says it's the first time she has ever seen such a view, Kaname answers that it's his secret place. He never told anyone about this place, and she's special since he wanted to apologize for making her angry during their summer trip. Ema doesn't believe it though, and she thinks Kaname says the same thing everytime he takes his women here. However, Kaname then asks if Ema is jealous. Or at least she's starting to like him, looking at how she got so nervous when their fingers touched earlier. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ He laughs saying she looks so cute when she's angry, and he whispers asking if he can kiss her again. When Ema refuses, Kaname asks if she didn't like their kiss at the beach.. because he did. Ema desperately tries to find excuse to go home, mentioning that Ukyou will be worried and she needs to watch Tsubaki's anime, but Kaname only asks her not to bring up other guys' names in front of him. Then he hugs her from behind and tickles her ear with his breath, lips AND tongue.

When Ema asks him to let go, Kaname refuses saying she needs to be punished. He then asks if her ears are weak, and if it's the first time a man has ever licked her ears. (*´д`*)ﾊｧﾊｧ Ema eventually admist that it's her first time, and Kaname continues by saying he's going to kiss her again.. but then he suddenly stop and says they should go home now. Of course Ema is really confused, and she wonders what Kaname is thinking about as he takes her back to her room.

** [ Awkward ] **

The next day, Ema finds it awkward to face Kaname. She knows she can't keep avoiding him forever, and yet she can't help but look away whenever their eyes met. Iori finds Ema sighing in the living room, and he's willing to listen if she needs someone to talk to — because they're a family. Ema actually feels happy upon hearing this, but she doesn't know how to act around Kaname.. and she obviously can't tell their brothers about what happened. Just then Kaname comes home, and Ema immediately flees to her room. He actually teased her because he finds her cute when she's blushing, but he didn't expect her to avoid him in such a blatant way. Iori then wonders if there's something wrong with Ema, and Kaname doesn't look happy when he says he's worried because she tends to keep things to herself. Kaname commens that Iori is rather observant about Ema, and when Iori says it's because they're a family, he asks if that's really the reason. Iori only laughs and returns to his room.

Later on, Kaname visit Ema's room and asks if he can come inside. He promises that he won't hold her hands, kiss her lips or bite her ears today, so she reluctantly allows him to enter her room. Kaname then apologizes for what he did yesterday, but he makes it clear that he wasn't just teasing Ema. He wanted to kiss her, but he doesn't want to ignore her feelings anymore.. and that's why he stopped himself. Kaname admits that he feels down since Ema is avoiding him, and he promises that he will never do those things again — because he doesn't want her to hate him. Ema also apologizes for avoiding Kaname, and she agrees to get along with him as a family again. Just like how they used to be. However, Kaname then adds that they might be step-siblings for now.. but no one knows what's going to happen next.

**[ Culture Festival Day ] **

Hinode High School's culture festival takes place on October 23, and Ema is busy working as a bunny waitress in her class's cafe. At noon she receives a mail from Kaname informing that he's coming to school, and soon he shows up along with Ukyou and Subaru. The first thing he says is she looks super as a bunny, and he asks if she's allowed to bring the costume home. If she comes to his room wearing the bunny costume, he will definitely turn into a wolf on the spot. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* That earns him a punch to the head, since Ukyou will never allow him to say something so "immoral" in a school. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Upon learning that Ema is actually interested in Kaname, Mahoko takes Ukyou and Subaru to join a basketball team competition at the gym — giving them a chance to be alone. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Kaname invites Ema to look around the school together, but before they leave the classroom, Yusuke comes out and finds them. The poor guy wants to tag along, but soon Sasakura also appears and tells him to return to work.. and then this happens:

**Sasakura:** "Oh, Hinata-san, are you having a break?"  
**Sasakura:** "By the way, the person beside you is…"  
**Kaname:** "I'm her boyfriend. Hello."  
**Yusuke & Sasakura:** "HUH!?" Σ(-`Д´-ﾉ；)ﾉ!?  
**Sasakura:** "Hey what does this mean, Asahina!?"  
**Yusuke:** "Stupid! Don't ask me!"

..and while they're arguing about who's more stupid between them, Kaname wishes them luck at work and takes Ema out of the classroom. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ He laughs at Yusuke's face when he heard about their "school date", and he admits that he tried to cause a misunderstanding on purpose. Kaname noticed that Sasakura likes Ema as well, so he blocks all the unwanted love rivals as fast as possible. (ﾟ∀＾d)ｸﾞｯ Kaname and Ema walk around the school together after that, and she enjoys spending the day with him. Even though it's also hard to clear Sasakura's misunderstanding.

**[ Truth ] **

A week after Rintarou and Miwa's wedding, on November 13, Ema goes to her old apartment. They asked her to help organizing their wedding photos, but she ends up finding a book which states that she's actually adopted. Before Rintarou could explain anything, Ema runs out of the apartment and cries in the park until night falls. The one who eventually finds her is Kaname.

Upon seeing Ema's face, Kaname notices that she's been crying alone. Even though she tries to deny it, her swollen eyes can't lie to him. When Ema asks why he's here, Kaname explains that Rintarou called and explained what happened to them. She doesn't answer when he asks if she doesn't want to go home, and he understands that she wants to be alone.. but for some reason, Ema turns into her childish novel counterpart and says that Kaname can't understand how she feels. Oh the horror. ( ಠ_ಠ ) Kaname admits that he can't 100% understand Ema, but he can imagine how it feels to lose faith in everything she believed in. He's a monk, and it's his job to deal with people's pain or grief. Kaname also says it's a problem Ema needs to solve by herself, so the decision is in her hands. It's whether she can accept the truth or not. Ema feels that accepting the truth means she will be all alone, and Kaname gently apologizes as he pats her head. Kaname says he can't solve the problem for Ema, but he can give her all the support she needs. She doesn't have to force herself to smile, and it's okay for her to cry as much as she wants to.. but she shouldn't run away from the problem. She needs to face it, solve it and move forward. Ema was actually expecting Kaname to comfort her with gentle words, but his words have opened her eyes. Ema finally agrees to talk to Rintarou, and for once, she doesn't run away when Kaname hugs her. Sadly it only lasts until he asks if he can kiss her.

**[ The Important Thing ] **

After learning everything from Rintarou, Ema goes to see Kaname in his room. When she says they're going to visit her real father's grave next time, he asks if he can come along with them. He wants to greet her father, but he doesn't want to disturb her time with Rintarou either. Ema doesn't mind though, and she says she'll ask Rintarou later. Since Kaname is a monk, Rintarou might be glad if he comes along.. and she thinks her real father will be happy. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Kaname is happy to see Ema smiling again, and she says it's all thanks to him that she can talk to Rintarou properly. Kaname replies that it was Ema who made the decision, but if she wants to thank him, then he'll be more than happy to have her whispering love into his ears. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) He teasingly asks if she has fallen in love with him, only to get firmly rejected LOL.

Kaname: "Why are you sighing like that?"  
**Ema:** "No, I just thought you never change."  
Kaname: "You mean I'm as wonderful as usual?"  
**Ema:** "I didn't say that!"

**[ Desire to Monopolize ] **

On November 21, Ema makes some delicious café au lait after cleaning up the living room. She also shares some with Rui, while Kaname is relaxing in the living room with Azusa. However, this peaceful moment is broken when Tsubaki appears. He received three cinema tickets from his friend, so he invites her to watch the movie together with Azusa and him. Tsubaki clings to Ema until she says yes and asks him to let go, but suddenly Kaname comes to pull them apart and grabs Ema's hand — saying she's got plans with him today. He says she just forgot about their promise, adding "sorry, Tsubaki" before taking her away. Tsubaki, Azusa and Rui are all surprised to see this, because Kaname always calls his brothers with nicknames. He doesn't call their full name unless he's really serious.. or angry. Tsubaki is obviously pissed off, while Azusa says that Kaname's anger was rather childish for someone like him. Since Rui is free, the three of them end up watching the movie together.

Meanwhile, Kaname takes Ema to his room. She asks if he did something that make him angry, but he says it's not her fault. In fact, he doesn't even understand why he got so irritated over something like this. He quietly apologizes for dragging her along, but she holds out her hands and asks her to hold them — hoping her warmth can make him feel calm. After a short silence, Kaname eventually laughs saying he can never win against Ema. He then holds her hands and kisses them, thanking her for making him feel a little better. Kaname reminds Ema that he kissed her hand too when they first met, and she admits that she was really surprised back then. He says a kiss on the hand is nothing much though, because they've done "greater things" since then. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Ema protests when Kaname says that he wants to take their relationship to a further step, and he reminds her that he said "no one can tell what's going to happen next".. because he doesn't want her to be touched by anyone else. Kaname quickly says it's nothing though, and he takes Ema to go out together after that.

After returning to the mansion at night, Ema runs into Tsubaki and Azusa by the elevators. She apologizes for what happened earlier, but they don't mind at all.. since they're more interested in Kaname's actions. Azusa says Kaname doesn't want them to take Ema away from him, and when Ema says it's impossible, Tsubaki replies that he used to think the same way. Who could have guessed that Kaname would show such an obvious jealousy? (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Tsubaki doesn't get why it has to be Ema out of all people, but Azusa stops him from troubling her any further. Before leaving, Azusa also tells Ema to ask Kaname directly if she wants to know.

**[ Christmas Date ]**

On December 24, Ema is gaming her life away when Juli notes that some of the brothers went out with neat appearance. Especially Kaname. Ema feels a bit jealous thinking Kaname must be having a date, but soon she receives a mail from him. He asks her to dress up and come to the mansion entrance by 7 PM — they're going to have a date. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Upon seeing Ema in a dress, Kaname says she looks really mature and beautiful tonight. He then escorts her to his car and takes her out for a night drive, but he keeps the destination a secret. He promises that he won't "eat" her, but she still goes Σ(〃д〃) when he stops the car at a hotel and takes her inside. Ema blushes and panics when Kaname adds that they're going to spend a sweet night together, promising that he will be gentle to her. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Then he bursts into laughter and says he was just kidding, since their destination is actually the hotel's restaurant.. though he'll gladly accept if she wants to spend the night with him.

As Kaname orders some drinks for them, Ema thinks about how he seems used to high-class restaurants. She also wonders if he often takes his women out for dinner, and she asks if he actually wanted to spend Christmas Eve with someone else. She thinks the woman he invited couldn't make it tonight, so he had no choice but to ask her out as the replacement. Kaname is surprised, and he laughs as he asks Ema to stop that delusion. He made the reservation in this restaurant just for her, and he couldn't contact her earlier because he was busy at work. It'd be uncool if he had to cancel their plan because of work, so he didn't ask her out until he was 100% certain that he can come. Since they're going to have a family party tomorrow, Kaname wants to spend Christmas Eve only with Ema. .+ﾟ*｡:ﾟ+( ´∀`)+ﾟ*｡:ﾟ+ After asking Ema to enjoy their dinner without feeling nervous, Kaname realizes that he just drank a glass of champagne even though he has to drive back home. He jokingly asks if they should spend the night in the hotel instead, and she asks if he's been aiming for this right from the start. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ They end up going home with a taxi, and Kaname asks Ema to keep today's date a secret from their brothers. Because they'll definitely get jealous.

**[ New Year's Day ] **

On New Year's Day, everyone goes to pray at the shrine together. As soon as they arrive at the shrine, Tsubaki glomps Ema saying he'll cling to her whether she wants it or not. He totally ignores Yusuke when the latter rages, though he's willing to take poor Yusuke along as they pray together. Ema actually wants to go with Kaname, but she quickly brushes off the thought and prays with them instead. While Tsubaki and Yusuke are busy praying — both wishing for Ema to fall in love with them — Kaname quietly sneaks up and takes Ema away. He complains that it makes him sad to see her praying with them, but he refuses when she asks if he wants to pray together. He's a monk after all, so he doesn't believe in the uncertain existence of God. He only came to the temple because he didn't like seeing her walking with other guys, but then he covers it up by changing the subject. He jokingly asks if she prayed for a happy future with him, and he goes (´；д；`) when she replies that she prayed for the family.

When Ema asks if it's okay for him to take a break from work today, Kaname answers that his workplace is on holiday until the 7th. Of course she finds it weird for a temple to take a holiday at the beginning of a new year, but soon Tsubaki comes to answer her question: "The temple Kana-nii works at is also called the 'host temple'. The whole place is a joke, so they don't have to work on New Year's Day." Σ(ﾟдﾟ ；) Kaname asks him not to appear out of the blue and say weird things to Ema, but Tsubaki says he did the same thing by kidnapping her earlier. Kaname then wonders where Yusuke is, and Tsubaki calmly says he left the poor guy behind because "he's annoying." (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Beside them, Ema thinks about how Kaname and Tsubaki get along so well — despite what they say about each other.

**[ Monk ] **

On January 12, Kaname comes to pick Ema up after school. He was accompanying a follower around the area earlier, and he was driving to the parking lot when he saw her. Kaname asks if she wants to play around somewhere before returning home, but Ema refuses since Ukyou will be late today.. so she needs to prepare dinner for everyone. However, Kaname says they should just eat outside. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Ema is always so busy taking care of everyone, so nobody will complain if takes a break everyonce in a while. Ema realizes that Kaname is doing this for her sake, but she still refuses and assures him that she's fine. She feels happy when they eat her cooking, and it'll be more enjoyable to have dinner with everyone at home. Kaname jokingly sighs saying it's too bad they can't have a date today, but Ema knows that behind his frivolous words, he's always watching over her.

On the way back to the mansion, Kaname suddenly stops the car upon seeing something lying in the middle of the road.. which turns out to be a dead kitten. ｡･ﾟ･(*ﾉД`*)･ﾟ･。 He asks Ema to wait in the car, but she follows him to a quiet place away from people — where she helps him to bury the poor kitten. After praying for the kitten's soul, Kaname suddenly asks if Ema knows where one's heart will go after one dies. Each religion has a different answer, and it depends on people's beliefs as well.. but his senior at work once said that after death, one's heart will stay beside those who remember them. For example if Kaname thinks about his late father, his heart will come to Kaname's side — watching over him. The kitten probably didn't have anyone to remember it, so he decides to take the role.. because it's just too sad if nobody remembers it after its death. The world might not be a nice place for the kitten, but maybe it can have fun by watching him chasing Ema around everyday. Feeling touched by Kaname's concern, Ema then prays for the kitten beside him. From now on, she's going to remember the kitten together with him. Kaname points out that Ema's hands are dirty from digging the grave, but they also look so beautiful in his eyes. He thanks her for praying with him, and he will never forget what she did today. Kaname takes Ema home after that, and he helps her making dinner.. so he can see her in an apron and keep the sight to himself. Or pretend to be newlyweds.

**[ Staying Over ] **

On the night of February 6, Ema goes to sleep in Kaname's room. He asks if she wants to take a shower with him, and when she answers that she already took a bath, he teasingly replies with "you're well-prepared." (๑´ლ`๑) She makes it clear that she doesn't come here to have some sexy time with him, so he goes to take a shower and asks her to wait for him — asking her not to sleep before he's done. However, Ema feels sleepy as soon as Kaname disappears into the bathroom. Needless to say she falls asleep on his bed, and she wakes up later to feel him gently stroking her hair. Kaname wonders if Ema is testing his reason, and she opens her eyes in a panic when he says that holding back doesn't suit his personality. Before Ema could do anything, Kaname suddenly pins her down and kisses her neck — saying she smells nice. When she tries to resist, he promises that he won't leave any marks on her neck. He's simply licking it. ｲﾔ—(*ﾉ∀ﾉ)—ﾝ! Kaname also admits that the sight of Ema's neck drives him crazy, and he's been wanting to kiss her neck for a long time.

As he continues kissing Ema's neck, Kaname asks if her heart is racing. He says that his heart is racing too because of her, and he asks if she knows how turned on he is right now. When Ema says she doesn't, Kaname replies that he won't let her say such a thing.. because she's not a kid anymore. ﾟ+.(*ﾉωヾ*)ｬﾝ +ﾟ Sadly Ema keeps resisting because they're "siblings", and Kaname eventually says he understands. ﾉｫ—(屮ﾟДﾟ)屮—ｯ! He doesn't want to force himself on his resisting little sister, but it turns him on when it's his girlfriend who's resisting.. and their relationship might change in the near future. Ema obviously panics, but Kaname laughs saying he's just joking. Kaname then calls it a night — even though he's still too aroused to sleep right away — and says goodnight to Ema.

The next morning, Ema blushes upon seeing Kaname when she wakes up. He asks why she puts her guard up when he held back last night, but then he realizes that she's probably only embarassed upon remembering the sensation his tongue left on her neck. ﾓｫ(*ﾉ∀｀*)ﾉｬﾀﾞｧｧ Kaname knows that Ema is blushing because of him, but on the other hand, she doesn't know if he's serious or just toying around with her.

**[ Valentine's Day ] **

For Valentine's Day, Ema gives a handmade chocolate to Kaname. The first thing Kaname asks is if Ema came to offer herself to him, though he quickly takes it back when she answers with "Sorry, I'll go back to my room." ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ When she gives him the chocolate, he then asks if it's a real chocolate or just an obligatory one for siblings. He also asks if she gives their brothers some chocolates too, and he gets really happy when she says no. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Kaname smiles as he promises to return the favor, telling Ema to look forward to it.

**[ White Day ] **

On White Day, Kaname gives Ema a sweet perfume in a pretty bottle. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* He asks her to try it putting on, and he moves closer to smell the scent from her neck. The sweet scent suits her perfectly, and he wants her to use the perfume whenever she goes to see him from now on. However, Kaname also tells Ema not to use the perfume unless she's alone with him.. because he doesn't want the others to smell the sweet scent from her. (๑´ლ`๑) Ema quietly says yes, and satisfied with her answer, Kaname happily leaves after saying goodnight.

**[ Sight of Kaname ]**

On April 15, Ema walks home from school with Yusuke. They decide to drop by the bookstore since she wants to buy a refrerence book, and they run into Tsubaki along the way. Yusuke's immediate reaction is "where the heck did you appear from? ( ಠ_ಠ )", but he immediately turns tame when Tsubaki threatens to tell Ema about what's hidden under his bed. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Tsubaki explains that he went to buy some clothes earlier, and he saw something "interesting" which Ema needs to see. He then points to a cafe nearby, and there they find Kaname with a beautiful woman. As Ema stares in shock, both Tsubaki and Yusuke talk about how it might be one of Kaname's usual "followers". They all think Kaname has changed because of his recent behavior, but well.. they might be wrong. Tsubaki also tells Ema that Kaname is a good person, but he's just that kind of man — he can't be loyal and cherish her alone. Tsubaki asks if Ema is really okay with this, but his words trail off. At the same time, Yusuke asks why she's crying.

Ema apologizes for crying without even realizing it, and she admits it's because she's shocked to see Kaname with another woman. Instead of answering their questions, she asks Tsubaki if Kaname has always been dating other women behind her back. Tsubaki can't bring himself to answer, but Ema says she knew. Ever since they first met, she knew what kind of person Kaname is. It's just after spending so much time with him, she starts hoping that he would only look at her. Yusuke then asks Ema to explain what's going on, because it sounds like Kaname is cheating on her. Ema answers that Kaname and her are step-siblings, but at the same time, he's also an adult and she's just a girl who got pushed around by his actions. There's no way they can go back to become step-siblings anymore. Ema wonders if anything would change if she accepted Kaname instead of constantly pushing him away, but she knows that she's just a fool who only realized her feelings after seeing the truth. Tsubaki also feels guilty for making her cry, and he promises to talk to Kaname about this.

** [ Only Mine ] **

For the next two weeks, Ema has been avoiding Kaname again — just like before. On the night of April 30, she overhears Tsubaki and Kaname arguing from the hallway. Tsubaki tells him not to play around with Ema's heart anymore, while Kaname coldly answers that it's got nothing to do with Tsubaki. Besides, he never toyed with her feelings to begin with. Tsubaki says it hurts Ema if he approaches her with half-hearted feelings, and despite Kaname's attempt to explain that he's actually serious about her, Tsubaki thinks Kaname is just curious because Ema won't fall for him like all the other women he has dated so far. Kaname eventually snaps, and when Tsubaki says that he'll take Ema, Kaname replies that he won't hand Ema to anyone.. because he can easily prove that his feelings for her are real. The next thing Ema hears is the sound of Kaname crushing his own cellphone, telling Tsubaki that he won't see other women anymore. Tsubaki is surprised, and Kaname walks out after telling him not to interfere again.

Upon opening the door, Kaname is shocked to find Ema standing outside. He asks if she heard everything, and he sighs when she apologizes.. but then he grabs her hand and takes her out for a drive. None of them say anything along the way, until Kaname eventually stops the car at his "secret place" — the hill he visited with Ema before. He wants to know why she suddenly started avoiding him again, and she admits it's because she saw him with another woman in a cafe. Kaname explains that it was indeed a "follower" he used to date, but he went to see her because he wanted to put an end to their relationship. He won't ask Ema to believe it since it's 100% his own fault, but she should know that he loves her.. and so he wants her to believe in his feelings one day. Until that day comes, he'll keep telling her that she's the only one for him. Ema cries since she never thought Kaname would only look at her, but she finally tells him that she wants to trust him — asking him to make her believe in him.

After thanking Ema, Kaname pushes her down and kisses her on the lips. He reminds her that he wanted to kiss her too the first time they visited the hill, and now he wants to make up for the kisses they didn't have back then. (๑´ლ`๑) Kaname then tells Ema that he loves her, and that he will never hand her to anyone else. Ema can feel her body giving in as Kaname kisses her and whispers her name, and finally he asks if he can make her his. When Ema says yes, Kaname quietly mutters "This is bad. I think now I know what 'lust' feels like.." (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ He doesn't mind though, because he wants to stay with her. When Ema replies that she wants to stay with him too, Kaname leans down to kiss her again.. and the screen fades to black.

**[ Graduation Day ] **

One year has passed since Ema started dating Kaname, and it's finally time for her to graduate high school. After the graduation ceremony, Yusuke informs Ema that a "guest" is waiting for her by the school gate.. though he grumbles about how dumb said "guest" looks today. When Ema comes out to see the "guest", she finds Kaname standing in front of the school gate. He's wearing a formal suit, and his previously long, golden hair has been neatly cut short. Kaname asks if the hairstyle doesn't suit him, but Ema shyly admits that it looks good on him. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) It turns out he already quit his job as a monk, and yesterday he asked Miwa to employ him in her office. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Ema is obviously surprised, but Kaname explains that he won't be able to work as a monk anymore — because he has Ema now. She caused him to feel all sorts of emotions a monk shouldn't have, like jealousy, impatience, and also an incredibly strong desire to monopolize. Kaname doesn't regret his decision though, since it means he can be with Ema. He then congratulates her on the graduation, handing a huge bouquet of roses to her. Kaname is glad that Ema safely passed her entrance exam to university, even though he found it really painful to hold back during her studying period. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ From now on he might cause her to get angry or worried, and they might fight too from time to time.. but he promises that he will never let her go.

**[ The Morning We Spent Together ] **

Kaname has been busy ever since he started working in Miwa's office, but he can finally take a day off after a while. Ema actually finds it surprising since he doesn't look like a person who can stand daily office work, and when he asks what kind of image she had, she replies with "Someone who fools around all day. It's unknown when you sleep and when you work, and you think of women all the time." ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Kaname sighs saying Ema is always so harsh on him, but then she adds that he was a good monk. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Kaname then says the biggest change in him is that he started thinking "I can't fool around forever", because it's about time he settled down. Ema thinks he's already doing a good job though. He never cheats on her, never flirts with girls anymore and always returns home everyday. However, Kaname is actually hinting that he wants to marry Ema in the near future. (๑´ლ`๑) He's going to talk to Rintarou soon, and he smiles when she says yes. Since Kaname has been working so hard, he now wants a reward from Ema.. and he pulls her to his bed saying they're going to charge his energy. He wants to satisfy her too, and he won't let her sleep tonight.

The next morning, the sound of a ringing cellphone wakes Kaname up. He answers the call to hear Ukyou's confused voice on the other side, and the next thing he hears is "…why are you the one answering this call!?" That's right, it's actually Ema's phone.

**Kaname:** "Oh sorry, I picked up her phone by mistake."  
**Kaname:** "What is it? You need help to prepare breakfast?"  
**Kaname:** "Sorry, but can you let her sleep for a little longer?"  
**Kaname:** "Because I asked her to do quite a lot of things last night."  
**Ukyou:** "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT…!?"  
**Kaname:** "Ahaha! Do you want me to explain in details about how cute she was?"  
**Kaname:** "But I want to keep it private, since it's a waste to tell other guys about it."  
**Ukyou:** "I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!"

..and since Kaname wants to enjoy his after sex moments with Ema, he ignores poor Ukyou's protests and hangs up on him. ( ﾟ∀ﾟ)ｱﾊﾊ八八ﾉヽﾉヽﾉヽﾉ ＼ / ＼/ ＼ He whispers that love is stronger than anything, but love is also the beginning of lust. Kaname then gently tells Ema that she's the one who can make him feel this way, and finally whispers that he love her.


	2. Chapter 2 Hikaru

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Hikaru

Hikaru is the 4th son of the Asahina family. He's 25 years old, and works as a novelist for noir books. His name isn't well-known yet because of the minor genre, but he's willing to do nearly anything to gather materials for his novels. Including dressing up in women's clothing and acts like one. Behind his feminine disguise, Hikaru is actually rather manly and sharp-tongued. He's busy working in Italy until the end of November, when he finally returns to Japan.

**[ The Caller ] **

On October 29, Ema returns home and finds Kaname talking on the phone. He mentions about picking up the caller at the airport, and that he's looking forward to see the caller again. Since Kaname sounds so relaxed and friendly, Ema wonders if he's talking to his "real girlfriend". xD Of course Kaname notices Ema listening in to their conversation, and he jokingly asks if she's curious about the caller. Ema admits that she's indeed curious, though she makes it very clear that it's not because she's interested in Kaname. She's simply interested in the caller's identity, that's all LOL. Kaname goes ｶﾞ—Σ(￣□￣ｌｌｌ)—ﾝ upon hearing this, but then he answers that the caller is related to Ema. She'll find out eventually, and he'll introduce her to the caller when the time comes.

Exactly one month later, on November 29, Ema finally learns that the caller is Hikaru. She finds him walking to the mansion with Kaname, and she mistakes him for a woman since.. well, he's wearing a dress. It doesn't help that none of the brothers mention that he's a man, and so Ema thinks that Hikaru is Kaname's "girlfriend" — horrifying the latter. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ She feels confused since they keep calling him "Hika-nii" or "Hikaru nii-san", until eventually they explain that Hikaru is their _brother_.

**[ Dinner With Everyone ] **

On December 1, Hikaru visits the mansion for dinner. Ukyou is away and will return home late, and Hikaru is surprised to see Ema cooking dinner by herself. He wonders why their brothers aren't helping her, but she doesn't mind since she loves cooking. Besides, the others will only mess things up if they enter the kitchen. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Hikaru also wants to help since he's hungry, but Ema asks him to just wait in the living room.. because he can't cook either. In fact, his life heavily depends on cup noodles. ｲｴ━━ヽ( ´д`)ﾉ━━ｲ! During dinner, Hikaru asks if Ema goes to Hinode High School. He noticed her school uniform when they first met, and he mentions that seeing the uniform feels "nostalgic". After teasing Yusuke for becoming siblings with his classmate, Hikaru suddenly floods Ema with tons of questions: "What kind of clothes do high school girls like? What's trending at your school? Who's your favorite celebrity? What kind of music do you listen to?"

Kaname and Tsubaki quickly stop him from troubling Ema, but Hikaru only wants to know more about her. Since Hikaru is living alone in a different apartment, he can't talk to Ema anytime like everyone else. However, Hikaru also admits that he actually wants to gather information about high school girls from her. He obviously can't mingle with high school girls anymore at his age, so Ema is a good target for him to collect information from. Since Ema seems confused, Hikaru then reveals that he's working as a novelist under the pen name of "Asakawa Hikaru". He left some of his books in the mansion, so she can try reading them if she's interested. Before Ema could answer Hikaru's questions, Kaname, Tsubaki and Wataru suddenly interrupt saying they want to spend time with her too. Azusa and Iori also ask him not to trouble Ema too much, and seeing how much they treasure her, Hikaru is starting to develop an interest in her as well. He tells her not to mind him though, and he says he'll drop by for dinner again sometime.

**[ Accidental Reunion ] **

On December 24, an unknown man suddenly greets Ema on her way back to the mansion. He asks if she doesn't recognize him, so based on experience.. she asks if he's another "hidden" member of the Asahina family. (*ﾉ∀｀)ﾟo｡ｱﾋｬｬ The man laughs saying she's half right, and he changes his way of speaking to reveal that he's actually Hikaru. Ema's immediate response is "w-why do you look like that?", and Hikaru calmly answers that it's his real appearance. He's a man after all.

**Ema:** "Eh!? Is that so!?" Σ(ﾟдﾟ )  
Hikaru: "What do you mean. You don't think I'm a tranny, do you?"  
**Ema:** "… is that wrong?"  
Hikaru: "Of course!"  
**Hikaru:** "I only wear women's clothing for the sake of gathering materials. That's all."

Ema doesn't get why he needs to wear women's clothing for work, but Hikaru doesn't explain further. Instead, he asks her to go shopping with him. There's something he wants to buy, but it's hard to enter the shop as a man. He left home in a hurry earlier, and he was regretting not wearing women's clothing when he saw Ema walking by. Ema agrees to accompany Hikaru, but first she wants him to change his way of speaking back to normal — since he's still using his feminine voice. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ When Hikaru switches back to his normal voice, Ema feels ﾄﾞｷ(*´・ω・`*)ﾄﾞｷ inside because he has a cool, manly voice. The large gap between his normal and feminine voice amazes her. The shop Hikaru wants to visit turns out to be a cute general store, and he thanks Ema for accompanying him.

After leaving the shop, Ema and Hikaru notice a special Christmas corner nearby. They have a "candle relay" event going on, where couples light candles by candles together — putting their feelings into the light. When Ema comments that it's a wonderful event, Hikaru suddenly smiles and takes her to participate in the candle relay together. He holds her hands as they try to light their candle, but it doesn't go well because she fees really nervous around him. (๑´ლ`๑) As Hikaru gently guides her to move their candle, Ema keeps thinking about how he speaks using "俺" instead of the usual "私". Eventually they manage to light their candle, and the small flame feels so dear to Ema because she lights it up with Hikaru. ( *´艸`)ｸｽｯ Before they go home, Hikaru says he feels glad to be able to spend Christmas Eve with Ema — even if their meeting today was a coincidence. If their brothers ever find out, they'll definitely give him a death glare out of jealousy.

**[ New Year's Day ] **

On New Year's Day, everyone goes to pray at the shrine together. Upon arriving at the shrine, Hikaru invites Ema to look around the place together. Because they should enjoy New Year's as the "beautiful sisters" of the Asahina family. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ They look around the food stalls after praying, where the owners give them so many food they could barely carry everything. When Masaomi asks how did they get that much food, Ema explains that people mistook them as sisters.. and they got a lot of extra service as the result. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* After giving some of their food to Wataru, Hikaru says they should share the remaining food with everyone else. Why? Because it's a woman's enjoyment in life to make men feel indebted through the smallest things. They won't have to carry everything all by themselves, and their brothers will feel very indebted since men are simple like that. It's killing two birds with one stone. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ As he takes her to find everyone else, Ema thinks that Hikaru is just like a cheerful older sister. It's going to be a fun year with him around.

**[ Interview Request ] **

On January 17, Hikaru suddenly asks Ema to meet him at a cafe. Ema admits that she's still not used to see him as a man, but Hikaru calmly asks her not to worry — she'll get used to it from now on. After ordering a parfait for Ema, Hikaru asks if she's willing to be interviewed by him. As he said before, he doesn't have any chance to talk to high school girls.. so now he wants to learn more about her. Or rather, he wants to use her data for his novels. He will pay her for helping him, and all she needs to do is simply talk to him as they have tea together. Ema agrees to cooperate, but under the condition that Hikaru doesn't pay her. She tells him that she wants to help as a sister, and he laughs saying he can see why everyone loves her. Hikaru accepts her condition, and he asks Ema to come to his apartment on Sunday. (๑´ლ`๑) Ema obviously feels nervous about this, but she tries to think it's normal to visit Hikaru's room. They're siblings after all.. right?

** [ Interview ] **

Just as she promised, Ema comes to Hikaru's apartment on January 22. She gets nervous and excited at the same time upon entering his room, though he says the room always looks tragic before deadlines. xD When Ema replies that his room looks neat, Hikaru admits he cleaned it up since she's coming today. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* After serving some tea for Ema, Hikaru soon begins the interview by asking a series of questions — starting with the introductions. He asks if she loves her family, and when she says yes, he whispers that she has a brilliant smile. Next, he asks which one of the Asahina brothers is her type. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｷｬｰ Since Ema keeps insisting that she can't look at her siblings that way, Hikaru then changes the question to "which group do you find it easier to talk to, the students or the workers?" When she chooses the workers, he concludes it as "so you like being led by adults."

Ema is wondering what Hikaru wants to achieve through these questions, and he reveals that he wants to see how she would react to certain situations. Hikaru then touches Ema's cheeks and asks if she has a cold, pointing out that her cheeks are red and warm. When she blushes in silence, he suddenly smiles saying she's got a nice reaction. He was acting out the situation when a doctor examines his patient. In other words, the "Masaomi version". Ema then asks if he's teasing her, and Hikaru leans closer as he apologizes. He gently whispers that he doesn't mean to tease her, but he can't help it since she's too cute. Of course Ema takes this seriously and blushes, but then Hikaru reveals that it's the "Azusa version" — whispering sweet words into her ears as a seiyuu. He thanks her saying she provides good data for him, and she can't get angry because he looks so happy.

The interview continues until it's really late at night, and so Hikaru asks Ema to stay in his room for tonight. He also wants to thank her for the interview today, so they can.. chat all night long! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Before they go to bed, Hikaru suddenly tells Ema to strip. If she refuses, then he will go and stip her himself. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ ..and no, this isn't anyone's version. Hikaru has a few women's clothing which he can't wear anymore, so he wants to try putting them on Ema. She can take anything she wants, and combine them with something else if they make her look too mature. In return, she can't wear them unless she's going on a date with him. (๑´ლ`๑) After that, Hikaru spends the whole night doing a fashion show with Ema. When he wakes up in the morning, she already makes some morning tea for him. She asks if she can come to talk to him again, and he replies that she's always welcomed when he doesn't have work.

Since then, Hikaru never wears women's clothing in front of Ema again.

** [ Hikaru's Novel ] **

On the night of February 1, Ema finds it hard to sleep. Juli suggests reading school textbooks to make herself sleepy, and this reminds her that she hasn't read Hikaru's novels yet. She then goes to borrow one of his novels from Kaname, and this happens:

**Ema:** "I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep. I need your help, Kaname-san."  
Kaname: "Oh.. Sorry, I didn't notice."  
Kaname: "It must have took a lot of courage to visit a man's room at night."  
Kaname: "Okay, let's stay together until morning comes. I'll accept all of your feelings."  
**Ema:** "Huh?"  
Kaname: "Don't worry. Don't be scared. I'm gentle and good at it, so no need to worry."  
Kaname: "Here, come inside."  
**Ema:** "W-H-A-T are you saying? I just want to borrow Hikaru-san's novels."  
**Kaname:** "… I see."

After returning to her room, Ema ends up reading Hikaru's novel all night. It's the first time she ever read a noir novel — a novel about criminals — and she finds his story really interesting. The next time they meet again, Ema is going to tell Hikaru her impressions on the novel.

**[ Valentine's Day ] **

For Valentine's Day, Ema makes a handmade chocolate for Hikaru. They meet up at the station in the evening, where she nervously hands the chocolate to him. Hikaru frowns asking if Ema called him all the way here just for this, and she feels bad because he's really busy writing his manuscript today. Ema immediately apologizes for bothering Hikaru, saying that she wanted to give him the chocolate directly. She nearly cries since he keeps frowning at her in silence, but then he smiles and thanks her for the chocolate. Σ(・д・；) He actually feels happy to receive it, and earlier he only wanted to see how high school girls like her would react to a bad guy who treats them coldly. After apologizing for fooling her, Hikaru gently hugs Ema and whispers that he really does feel happy to receive her chocolate. She panics saying they're in public, but he replies that people won't mind them — today is Valentine's Day after all. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Hikaru also admits that he was feeling down since he couldn't write properly, but seeing Ema directly has given him a lot of energy to continue writing. (๑´ლ`๑) Hikaru needs to return to work before his editor explodes, but he promises to contact Ema after he's done.

**[ In Carnage ] **

On February 20, Ema sends a mail to Hikaru asking if she can bring him some food. He doesn't reply at all, and worried that he might have worked until he fainted, eventually she decides to visit his apartment. After ringing the bell twice, an angry "Shut up! I already told you the script isn't done yet!" is heard from inside. The next second, Hikaru walks out goes Σ(`д´ﾉ)ﾉ!? upon seeing Ema in front of his door. She's surprised too since he's wearing a pair of glasses, has his long hair braided, and dressed up in a black jersey.. which she recognizes as Hinode High School's jersey. It turns out Hikaru is a Hinode High School graduate, and that makes him Ema's senior. That's also why he felt "nostalgic" upon seeing her uniform. Hikaru then apologizes for looking like a mess, explaining that he always wears something comfortable whenever he's in carnage — fighting against the deadline. He also apologizes for yelling at Ema earlier, since he thought his editor comes to take his manuscript again.

When Ema mentions about the mail she sent him, Hikaru answers that he forgot the existence of his phone. It's probably buried somewhere in his room. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Hikaru asks Ema to wait as he changes, but she stops him saying she only came here to give him some food. She knows that he's busy today so she made some sweets to give him energy. Ema then excuses herself saying she'll go home, but Hikaru stops her and invites her to come inside. He will have to keep writing for another hour or two, but he makes some tea for her and tells her to make a space for herself.. because his room is in a tragic condition. His clothes are covering the floor, and trash are scattered all over the room. By the time Hikaru is done writing, he's surprised to see that Ema has cleaned up his room. .｡ﾟ+.ヽ(*´∀`*)ﾉﾟ+.ﾟ。.* She apologizes for touching his stuff without permission, but he actually feels happy. In addition, she also made dinner for him and invites him to eat together. Hikaru is surprised, and he's about to say something.. but then he stops himself and says it's nothing.

**Ema:** "Eh!? That makes me curious."  
Hikaru: "… do you want to know?"  
**Ema:** "Yes."  
**Hikaru:** "You're a fine woman."

Hikaru teases Ema for blushing as she warms up their dinner, and he laughs when she asks him not to say it. Ema is glad that Hikaru finished his story with no problems, and from now on, she wants to do something for him when he's busy with work.

**[ White Day ] **

On White Day, Hikaru takes Ema to have a chocolate drink at a famous cafe. It's difficult to get a seat without a reservation, but he already reserved a table for the two of them. (๑´ლ`๑) When Ema happily thanks him for the present, Hikaru smiles saying he made the right decision since she looks so happy. It makes Ema realize that Hikaru really understands women's taste, and he sure knows how to please her. Hikaru also mentions that nothing can win against the chocolate cake Ema made for him last month, and she feels glad that she did her best to make it for him.

**[ Interview 2 ] **

On March 20, Ema comes to Hikaru's room for another interview. She's not as nervous as she used to be, though his questions still surprise her from time to time. After a while, Hikaru says they should have a break. Ema happily says she made some cookies today, but he suddenly looks away saying he doesn't want it. Then he asks her to stay with him instead, because he doesn't want to be apart from her. When Ema goes ?(ﾟдﾟ ；)? beside him, Hikaru laughs saying it's the "Yusuke version" — the conversation with a tsundere. Ema asks if he's teasing her as usual, and Hikaru replies that he's not. It's an interview, and he only wants to see her reaction. Hikaru gently touches Ema's hair as he apologizes, saying that he feels like touching her fluffy hair forever. At first Ema blushes, but then she realizes that it might be yet another simulation.. and Hikaru explains that it's the "Rui version". As much as she wants to get angry, she knows that he needs the data for his novels.

Ema then tells Hikaru that she has read one of his novel, and he asks for her impressions. She admits it's a bit difficult because she never read noir novels before, and she can't relate to the characters. However, she can understand their way of thinking since he wrote those parts in such a good way. His characters are well-built, and there are times when she feels sorry for them. Hikaru replies that she shouldn't feel that way towards criminals, but then he admits that he feels happy to hear her impressions. People have emotions and policies, which become the reason behind every single one of their actions. He tries to show this flow though his novels, and he thanks her for noticing what he's trying to convey. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Ema feels her heart beating faster when Hikaru smiles at her, but when he promises that today's interview will be useful.. she's brought back to the reality. This is only an "interview". She accepted his request because she wanted to help, but she finds it painful to hear that word today.

**[ Interview Object ] **

On March 31, Ema has another interview session in Hikaru's room. He asks what she would do if the man she loves confesses to her, but since she can't imagine the situation, he asks if she wants to do their usual simulations. She agrees, and he tells her to keep in mind that she's supposed to be in love with him during this situation. Now for the confession, Hikaru says that he used to think of Ema as nothing more than an interview object, but then he started to enjoy their time together. He wants to know more about her, and for her to know more about him — finally confessing that he loves her. However, Ema remains silent even after the confession is over. Hikaru asks her to say something because this is an interview to see her reaction, and it makes her feel sad.. because he just confirmed that she's only an "interview object" to him.

Ema then asks if she can go home since she's not feeling well, but Hikaru says she can sleep on his bed if it's too hard for her to walk home. When she refuses, he says he'll drive her back to the mansion — there's no way he can let her walk by foot in this condition. Unable to handle her feelings anymore, Ema eventually snaps saying she wants to be alone. Hikaru is obviously surprised, and he apologizes for not noticing. He then invites her to go out when she's feeling better, thinking she might get bored in his room, but she only asks if it's going to be yet another interview. She can't take it any longer, and she asks him not to play with her heart anymore — nearly confessing that she has fallen in love with him. Before Hikaru could say anything, Ema quickly apologizes and runs back to the mansion. Later on he mails her saying he wants to talk to her, but she doesn't reply. She can't face him properly before sorting out her feelings.

**[ Real Feelings ] **

Two months has passed since Ema left Hikaru, and they haven't seen each other ever since. Hikaru doesn't visit the mansion since there are no family events, and Ema finds it surprisingly easy to avoid him. Everyone is worried since she's been looking down, until Ukyou gives her a package from Hikaru one night. Inside, Ema finds a literature magazine with Hikaru's pen name written on the cover. She flips through the pages to find his story, and she's surprised to see that he didn't write a noir novel for the magazine — it's a romance novel. The story is about a new reporter who met a girl through a fateful encounter. At first he only treats her as nothing more than an interview object, but he falls in love with her over time. The story ends with him going out to tell her how he truly feels, and it's unknown whether his feelings can reach her in the end.. but his love is so well-written that it reaches Ema's heart.

Just then someone rings the doorbell, and Ema opens the door to find Hikaru standing outside. He notices that she has lost weight since the last time they met, and he's surprised when she suddenly cries in front of him. When Ema admits that she's been missing him, Hikaru smiles as he asks her not to say those words before he does. Then he hugs her saying he missed her too, and he apologizes for taking so long to come and see her. He actually wanted to see her right away, but he waited and finished writing the love story first. As a novelist, Hikaru thinks his writing will be the best way to tell Ema how he feels. The novel is the reflection of how he truly feels towards her, along with all the memories they shared together. Hikaru then admits that he only saw Ema as an interview object, but he falls in love with her as they spend more time together. He apologizes for hurting her, and if she's willing to give him another chance, he promises that he will never hurt her again. From now on, he's going to treasure her more than anyone else in the world.

**Ema:** "Hikaru-san.. This isn't an interview right?"  
**Hikaru:** "Of course it's not. I love you, Ema."  
**Ema:** "I love you too, Hikaru-san..!"

**[ Time Together ] **

Upon reading Hikaru's new novel, everyone finds it odd since it's an incredibly drastic change from noir novels.. though Tsubaki knows it's probably based on a true story. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ This causes Azusa to wonder who the girl could be, and everyone instantly turns around to look at Ema. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ Tsubaki finds it really suspicious since she received a package from Hikaru not too long ago, but thankfully for her, Ukyou stops this inquiry by asking them to hand in their bedsheets to him — he's going to wash all of them today. While Tsubaki complains about how troublesome it is, Ukyou tells Ema not to mind them.. and Rui also asks Ema to give his regards to Hikaru. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Which means that he knows LOL. When Ema tells Hikaru about what happened, he laughs saying it must be interesting. He says she should just tell everyone about them, and she thinks about how he's always so manly when it comes to these stuff.

Hikaru also says that his romance novel received positive feedback, and now his editor asked him to write a serial. Ema replies that she can understand why, and he blushes when she tells him that his romance novel is very him. It delivers the characters' feelings really well. She asks if he's going to start writing a serial next, but he answers that he can't write it anymore. It was too painful for him, because he wrote it based on how he felt when she left him. On the other hand, he doesn't feel like writing noir novels either. He needs to disguise himself as a woman in order to approach the criminals, who are mostly male, and he doesn't want to do it anymore now that he's got a girlfriend. (๑´ლ`๑) Besides, he doesn't want her to lose confidence just because he looks beautiful as a woman. xD Ema protests saying she _might_look as beautiful in a few years, but Hikaru laughs saying she's already beautiful. ﾟ+.ｏ(*萌´д`从´д`萌*)ｏ.+ﾟ He also says that he's been holding back on something, and he kisses her on the lips — admitting that he wanted to make her his before any of his brothers steals her heart away. Then finally, Hikaru jokingly asks Ema to live with him instead.. so he can turn her into an adult with "things which are greater than kisses."

**[ Together Until Morning Comes ] **

Following the success of his romance novel, one of Hikaru's books are going to have a movie adaptation. The publisher makes a celebration party for him, and Ema finds Kaname using this chance to hit on the female guests. He says it's to heal the wound caused by Hikaru taking her away, though he asks her to keep this a secret. If Hikaru ever finds out that he was aiming for her in the past, there's no telling of what will happen to him. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Kaname asks if Hikaru has praised how stunning she looks today, but Ema answers that they haven't seen each other. Hikaru is busy greeting a lot of people in the party, so Ema will wait patiently in the corner until he's done. Ema then goes to search for a quiet place to rest in, and along the way, a familiar voice suddenly calls her. Before she could figure out what's going on, Hikaru quickly grabs her hand and pushes her against the wall.

Ema wonders if it's okay for hhim to leave the party, but Hikaru calmly says they're on a break. He apologizes for not keeping her company even though he was the one who invited her, but she says she's happy to see a lot of people celebrating his success. When she thanks him for inviting her, he returns the gratitude by thanking her for dressing up for him. (๑´ლ`๑) Hikaru says Ema looks incredibly beautiful today, and he kisses her — assuring her that nobody will see them here. Hikaru then reveals that he already booked a suite room upstairs, and so Ema should go there if she wants to rest. He wants to keep her hidden from all the unwanted bugs (e.g. Kaname), and he asks her to wait in the room until he comes. Hikaru also admits that he actually doesn't want to leave Ema among his brothers, so he won't return her to the mansion tonight. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) He won't let her go until morning comes, to make up for all the time they can't spend together. Finally Hikaru says Ema's dress looks really nice on her, but he's going to take it off later.. so she should be prepared.


	3. Chapter 3 Fuuto

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Fuuto

Fuuto is the 12th son of the Asahina Family. He's a 14 year old junior high student, and also a famous idol who often appears in TV shows and commercials. Since he's balancing work and school, Fuuto has a busy life and can rarely be found at home. Behind his charming idol smile, Fuuto is actually cheeky, sharp-tongued and tends to look down on everyone around him. He holds a deep interest in acting, though he's also well-known as an exceptionally good dancer.

**[ Drama Shooting ] **

For summer vacation, everyone goes on a family trip to Miwa's private island.

At first everyone isn't sure if Fuuto can join the trip due to his busy schedule, but he can come along since he's got work to do near the island. On the second day of the trip, August 12, Ema and Juli finds a crowd surrounding a shooting location at the beach. She figures out it must be for Fuuto's drama, and she quietly sneaks into the crowd to take a closer look — because she knows he'll say something like "pay the observation fee!" if he finds out. There she finds him in a yukata, and one of his fans explains it's because they're shooting a fireworks festival scene today. Despite his real personality, Ema admits that Fuuto is really good-looking and looks nice in anything. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) In the drama Fuuto plays the role of someone who's in love with his best friend's lover, and Ema can tell that he's taking the job very seriously. Even when the director approves, he asks for a retake because he's not satisfied with his own acting. Just then Ema notices Fuuto glancing at her, and she decides to leave the location with Juli.

Back in the cottage, Ema receives a mail from Fuuto. Just as she expected, it says: "You were in the shooting location, weren't you? Why are you watching without permission?" ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ She's thinking of calling him instead of replying, but he calls her first saying she took so long to reply to his mail. Fuuto says he's busy, unlike a "commoner" like Ema, and he complains that he gets distracted if a relative is watching him at work. Then he calls her an insensitive fool, and that he wants to charge observation fee from her. When Ema holds back all of her anger and apologizes, Fuuto says she's lucky to see him in a yukata.. and she agrees. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ He looks good in a yukata and he knows it, but he's surprised when she says his acting is just as good. Fuuto then asks Ema to prepare dinner for him, because he's going back to the cottage later. She needs to know that she's using his "important time" for the phone call, so she's not allowed to refuse. It's an order, not a request. Of course Ema is pissed, but then she goes to cook dinner for Fuuto anyway. It's to thank him for the memorable scene she saw today.

**[ Real Dream ] **

On October 1, Ema and Fuuto watch DVDs together in his room. There's a scene she doesn't catch due to the fast pace, but when she turns around to ask him, she finds him watching the movie with a serious expression. He seems to be really impressed by the movie, and she asks if he likes the lead actor. She mentions that his eyes keep chasing the actor, and he teasingly asks if she was watching him instead of the movie. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ He answers that he does like the actor, since he can learn a lot by watching the actor's performance. After a short silence, Fuuto tells Ema that he actually wants to become an actor. He knows he will have to graduate as an idol someday, and whenever he watches movies, he keeps thinking about how long he will have to keep working as an idol. Somehow he feels that it might be too late for him to step into a new career. He wants to earn a living through his acting, but he's aware that he's got a long way to go. As much as he wants to act, his job as an idol takes the highest priority.

Fuuto then asks Ema to say something, and he's shocked to see her on the verge of tears. His feeling towards acting is really strong, but somehow she can feel his sadness too. Fuuto falls into silence upon hearing this, and he quietly thanks Ema for understanding him. After taking a very close look at Ema's face, Fuuto suddenly says that she's "surprisingly cute" and wonders why he never noticed this before. Unfortunately, they got interrupted when Yusuke comes to ring the doorbell. Fuuto has no intentions to open the door though, and he tells Ema to keep her voice down. As he covers her lips with his hand, Fuuto admits that he wants to be alone with Ema for a little longer. (๑´ლ`๑) Yusuke soon leaves thinking he's away, but Fuuto refuses to let go of Ema. Instead, he says they should continue watching movies with him clinging to her like this. He actually prefers watching them alone, but he doesn't mind having her by his side.. and she notices that he looks happy. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Fuuto spends most of his time outside of the mansion, so Ema is happy if she can grow closer to him.

**[ Culture Festival Day ] **

Hinode High School's culture festival takes place on October 23, and Ema is busy working as a bunny waitress in her class's cafe. At noon, Rui comes to see how she's doing. His salon is located quite far away from the school, but Fuuto is working around the area, and he came to style Fuuto's hair earlier. Since Ema is on break, Rui invites her to walk around the festival and see the exhibition together. However, Ema then receives a mail from Fuuto — which basically asks her to tell Rui to buy a bunch of food for him. As Ema checks everything on his order list, Rui says it's such a waste that Fuuto can't see her as a bunny today.. so he takes a picture of her and mails it to Fuuto. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Soon after that, Fuuto calls Ema and asks if she's not embarrassed wearing such a thing LOL. He thinks she's actually enjoying it, and he's willing to drop the subject when she tries to protest. In return, he wants her to come to his room later in her bunny costume. Then he drops the call saying he'll be waiting for her tonight, because he thinks she's cute and wants to see her bunny costume directly.

**[ Truth ] **

A week after Rintarou and Miwa's wedding, on November 13, Ema goes to her old apartment. They asked her to help organizing their wedding photos, but she ends up finding a book which states that she's actually adopted. Before Rintarou could explain anything, Ema runs out of the apartment and cries in the park until night falls. The one who eventually finds her is Fuuto.

When Fuuto says he's here to take her back home, Ema apologizes for running away without a word. He also asks her to stop crying, and he admits that he actually hates it when women cry — except for her. He always thinks they're annoying and troublesome, but ever since she cried for him last month, he realized that he can't stand seeing her in tears. Besides, she looks better when she's "smiling like a fool". Ema obviously gets pissed, and Fuuto replies that even her angry face is better than her crying face. Knowing that Ema ran away after learning that she's adopted, Fuuto asks if it's really necessary to think about one's real parents. As for him, he doesn't really think much about his parents and his brothers. It's true that it was them who brought him up, but his life is his alone. While he doesn't mind being alone, Fuuto knows it's not the same for everyone. Sometimes people need a family to rely on, so if Ema needs someone right now, he will stay with her. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ ..and in order to comfort her:

Fuuto: "What do you want me to do?"  
**Ema:** "Eh? Eh.. Um.."  
Fuuto: "I don't mind staying with you all night, but I'll take the payment for that."  
**Ema:** "All night? Payment!?"  
**Fuuto:** "You're not a kid anymore. You understand that much, right?"

Of course it's only a joke, and Fuuto smiles when Ema finally laughs. He says Rintarou wants to talk to her, and she agrees to go home with him. Fuuto then holds out his hand to help Ema stand, though he tells her to make it quick since it might be bad if someone sees them together. She protests saying it was him who came to pick her up, and he jokingly replies that he'll let go of their hands if she complains. When Ema quietly asks him not to let go, Fuuto laughs saying she's really honest.. but he doesn't mind pampering her for once. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) As they walk home together, Ema gradually feels calmer — knowing that Fuuto is right by her side.

**[ The Important Thing ] **

After learning everything from Rintarou, Ema goes to see Fuuto in his room. He's about to go to work though, so she needs to make it short. She asks if he went to look for her even though he actually has work to do, and he answers that he only delayed his shooting schedule a bit. Ema feels bad and apologizes, but Fuuto says there's no need for her to apologize. It was his own decision, and he took actions based on his own will. She doesn't have to worry. In fact, he'll only find it annoying if she feels apologetic. This makes Ema realize that while his words are harsh, Fuuto is actually being really kind to her. Since she comes all the way to his room, he teasingly asks if she wants to stay with him all the time. Sadly he can't stay with her right now, but he promises to return before midnight. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Fuuto then asks Ema to make dinner and wait until he comes back, and when she answers yes, he says he'll return as fast as possible.

**[ Teasing ] **

On November 21, Ema goes to Rui's salon for a haircut and styling. She returns to the mansion after that, and soon Fuuto also comes home from work. Upon seeing her with a new hairstyle, he puts up a mischievous smile and leans in to touch her cheeks — saying she looks beautiful with her new hairstyle. He says he's a fool for not realizing her beauty up until now, and then he asks if he can forget the fact that they're siblings. Just for this moment. [壁]*ﾉﾉ)ｷｬ~ When Ema starts panicking, Fuuto suddenly pulls back and laughs at her for taking him seriously. He then asks if she thinks of herself as a princess, who can make men's hearts flutter by simply changing her hairstyle. He finds it fun to see her in a panic, and he shows absolutely no signs of apologizing either. When Ema angrily says she won't cook lunch for him, Fuuto replies that he's hungry and asks his "beautiful big sister" to make something for him — which works like a charm. While she tries to be indifferent about this, she can't deny it when he mentions that she looks happy upon hearing the praise. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Fuuto says Ema is really fun to tease, and she actually doesn't mind either. Because she enjoys spending her time with him.

**[ Christmas Concert ] **

Based on Fuuto's request, Ema goes to watch his group's Christmas concert on December 24. He prepared a seat for her in the front row, and she lets Rui style her hair before going to the concert. Rui also mentions that Fuuto has calls his family to watch his concerts since he finds them annoying, so Ema must be special to him. (๑´ლ`๑) The moment Fuuto appears on stage with his refreshing idol smile, Ema thinks about how people would never imagine that he says harsh things everyday at home. During the concert, Fuuto announces that he wrote the lyrics of a new song they're going to sing for the first time today. The song is about the true feelings of someone who normally can't be honest, and Fuuto glances at Ema as he says "I'm sorry for always troubling you." ﾋﾞｭﾝｯ━.+ﾟ*━(ﾟдﾟ心)━｡:ﾟ+━→ﾌﾞｽｯ As the fangirls around her squeal about how Fuuto has just looked their way, Ema wonders if it's just her imagination.

After the concert ends, Fuuto suddenly mails Ema and asks her to come to his dressing room. He comes out to see her in the hallway, still wearing his stage costume from earlier. Or rather, he doesn't change on purpose just for her. She's happy to see him directly, and she says he's even more good-looking from up close — which he replies with "obviously." (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ The concert is a Christmas present for him, and he asks whether she noticed the other present he gave to her earlier. He says he sent a sign to her from the stage, and she should notice since she was watching him. The second present is of course the lyrics he wrote, though he says it's not entirely how he feels. When Ema happily thanks him for the wonderful presents, Fuuto mentions that she put a lot of effort in her appearance today. He knows it must be Rui who did her hair, since Rui's skills are enough to make a commoner like her look pretty. Fuuto is actually trying to praise Ema, but since that doesn't sound like a praise at all, he fixes it to be "You look so beautiful today. So much that I want to kidnap you right now.."

Soon they hear Fuuto's manager calling him from the dressing room, and Fuuto says he needs to attend the staff's party now. He notices that Ema looks disappointed, so he teasingly asks if she wants to go home together. The press will definitely make a big scoop of their relationship if they're seen together, so Fuuto apologizes that he can't answer Ema's expectations — even though she keeps saying that she's not expecting anything. Ema sighs thinking that Fuuto will always be Fuuto despite his idol smile, but she's happy to see him today.

**[ New Year's ] **

Since Fuuto had to participate in the New Year's countdown, he's still asleep when Miwa and Rintarou visits the mansion on New Year's Day. Before they go to pray at the shrine together, Miwa asks Ema to wake Fuuto up and ask if he wants to come along. Ema is hesitant knowing Fuuto will get angry if she disturbs his sleep, and just as expected, she's greeted by an angry "…who is it!?" upon ringing the doorbell. When Ema asks if he wants to pray at the shrine with them, Fuuto gives her the most charming idol smile he can make.. and goes "there's no way I'm going!" ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ The shrine is packed on New Year's Day, so things would only go out of hand if people finds him there. He stresses that he's different from them, but when she apologizes, he blushes and says it's okay. Ema also offers to buy an academic charm for him, and Fuuto lets her do as she likes — though he actually prefers food than charms. He's going to take his high school entrance exam this year, but it's not like he needs to rely on charms to pass. Before leaving, Ema wishes Fuuto a Happy New Year. She's hoping this year will be a good year, but he says they should "make it a good year" instead of wishing.

Fuuto then says Ema will have a good year as long as she has him, and when she asks why he can say such a thing with a straight face, he only says the answer is obvious. He jokingly wishes her luck not to draw a "great misfortune" omikuji, and Ema pouts as she walks back to the living room. That aside, she's glad she could greet him for the New Year's today.

**[ Complaint ] **

On June 9, Fuuto returns home looking gloomy. At first Ema thinks he's just tired because he's been busy with work recently, but it doesn't take long until she realizes that there's something wrong with him. He seems taken aback when she asks if something happened, and he takes her to talk in his room — where he reveals that he's working as a lead role for a new drama at the moment. His acting performance will be evaluated, and the director of his agency is willing to let him work as a full-time actor if the result is good enough. Ema is impressed because it's a big chance for Fuuto, but then he admits that things aren't going well. He tries his best since he doesn't want to let go of this chance, but he just can't seem to act right. He makes so many mistakes until the director got angry at him, and he doesn't know what to do anymore.

Fuuto wonders if he's just not cut out to be an actor, and he laughs saying everything has lost its meaning. He then turns to Ema and asks her to give him a comforting kiss, but she only tells him not to rely on her at a time like this. People who have a job will always feel pressure when they're working, and Ema points out that Fuuto never experiences pressure because he's not taking his job as an idol seriously. Fuuto argues by saying she has no working experience, but Ema replies that she can tell just by watching everyone in their family. They're taking their jobs seriously, and that's exactly why they feel pressure and responsibility at work. They all have different opinions about work, but none of them will throw their jobs away like he does. What he's doing right now is only escaping from pressure, something one will never do if they take their jobs seriously. Fuuto is shocked upon hearing Ema's words, and he says it's so annoying how she gets fired up over this issue.. but then he admits that she's right.

Just as Ema said, Fuuto has never felt any pressure at work. A part of him is taking his job as an idol lightly, but it's different now. He wants to grasp this chance no matter what, and that's what causing him to feel nervous and stiff at work. Even though he was thinking of giving up earlier, he actually doesn't want to give up. He really wants to become an actor, and he's now doing his best to reach that goal. Fuuto then laughs saying he's the worst for seeking comfort from Ema, but she answers that she loves that side of him. He might be aiming for perfection, but she loves the current him — who's desperately struggling to reach his dream. Ema deals with nervousness by thinking she won't die by the failure, and she doesn't know if it can be applied to Fuuto as well, but she asks him to be more at ease when he's working. He laughs saying entertainers are different from commoners since one failure might end an entertainer's career, but somehow he feels much better after talking to her. He says he'll do his best, and he regains his confidence saying there's nothing he can do.

Fuuto also calls Ema a demon for scolding her little brother when he was feeling down, but he admits that it actually worked on him. When she apologizes to him, Fuuto thanks Ema and says that her words have opened his eyes. From now on he's going to take his jobs seriously, both as an idol and as an actor, and he promises that he won't give up so easily anymore. He then asks her to say something in response to his gratitude, and she replies by saying he's not like himself today — because he's so honest. (๑´ლ`๑) Fuuto says it's so cheeky of Ema to say such a thing, and he jokingly adds that he won't let her know when the movie is done. Then he laughs saying it's a joke, and he tells her to look forward to the movie. At the same time, she's also thinking of supporting him even more from now on.

**[ Valentine's Day ] **

For Valentine's Day, Ema gives a handmade chocolate to Fuuto. He's exhausted since he just returned home from work, but he's amused when she hands him the chocolate. He mentions that he's going to receive several boxes full of chocolates, and he asks if she's trying to make him fat by adding another one. When Ema sighs and tries to leave, Fuuto stops her saying he didn't say he'd refuse. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ As she hands the chocolate to him, she explains that it's a fondant chocolat with minimum sweetness.. and he smiles when she says she made it just for him. Fuuto then asks how much love did Ema put into the chocolate. Is it an obligatory one sent by an older sister to her younger brother, a present from a fan to an idol, or a chocolate made for the person she loves. Just before Ema answers that it's the last, Fuuto chuckles saying he knows the answer — he only wanted to tease her.

Fuuto: "Oh, right. Wanna sleep together?"  
**Ema:** "Huh?"  
Fuuto: "As a sign of gratitude for the chocolate. Sleep with me?"  
**Ema:** "E-Eh!? W-What are you.."  
Fuuto: "Let's sleep together.. okay?"  
**Ema:** "F-Fuuto-kun, w-what are you saying? You're joking right?"  
**Fuuto:** "Yeah, just kidding. Sorry for getting your hopes up! Goodnight.

**[ Night Date ] **

On March 7, Fuuto mails Ema at midnight saying he's standing in front of her room. He asks her out for a walk, because he can only be free at this hour. Only a few people are still outside at this hour, so he doesn't have to worry about getting recognized either. Fuuto also tells Ema to wear a jacket since it's cold outside, and he blushes when she points out that he can say kind words too. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Along the way, Ema trips and Fuuto catches her. He asks her not to run since it's dark, and she notices that his words are more gentle compared to before. He's still harsh, but he's not as thorny as he used to be. Or maybe not. Because he also adds that a big sister won't do something as clumsy as tripping in front of her younger brother. xD Fuuto then holds Ema's hand and takes her to the park, where they see the cherry blossoms together.

Fuuto says he has an announcement to make today, and he tells Ema that he passed his high school entrance exam. She happily congratulates him saying a year passed by so quickly, to which he replies with "when you're spacing out, I'm gradually becoming an adult." (๑´ლ`๑) Besides, Fuuto has realized that things are much more enjoyable when he's staying near Ema. She asks him what that means, and he says it's a secret for now.. but she will find out when the time comes. By the time the cherry blossoms wither, it will be "the best, exciting present" for her. Fuuto then says they should just watch the cherry blossoms for now, and Ema feels ･:*:･ﾄﾞｷ(*´・_・`*)ﾄﾞｷ･:*:･ upon seeing his innocent smile. She feels happy beside him, and she realizes that she doesn't see him as a younger brother anymore.

**[ White Day ] **

On White Day, Fuuto gives Ema some sweets from a very famous shop. It's really popular and the sweets got sold out soon after its opening hour, so people would have to queue from the morning if they want to get the sweets. Ema is amazed that Fuuto managed to buy some, and he says it's an easy task for someone like him.. or so he says. He actually queued in line just to buy the sweets for her. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Ema apologizes for the trouble, but Fuuto answers that he was the one who bought it for her — there's no need for her to feel bad. Besides, he wouldn't do something like this if he finds it troublesome. Fuuto also tells Ema to fix her habit of apologizing to people, though it's not going well because she only ends up apologizing to him over and over again. When Ema says that she might not eat the sweets since she treasures them too much, Fuuto replies that he'll come to eat them in her room. In return, he expects her to give him a lot of service as she feeds him. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｷｬｰ Fuuto then leans closer saying he will eat both the sweets and Ema, but when she panics, he laughs and reveals that he's only trolling her as usual. He bought the sweets for her, so he wants her to eat them. He says he'll get angry if she eats them with someone else though, and that she's the only one he gives a present to today.

**[ Opening Ceremony ] **

As the new school year begins, Hinode High School welcomes its new students on April 11. Yusuke and Ema are observing their new juniors before the opening ceremony, and they see a crowd surrounding the school gate. When they take closer look, both of them are surprised to find Fuuto — wearing Hinode High School's uniform — politely greeting everyone. As much as Yusuke wants it to be an illusion, Fuuto soon comes to approach them — causing Mahoko to scream in delight since she's a fan of his group. Starting from today, he's going to be a first year student in Hinode High school. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Fuuto also explains to Mahoko that he's actually Yusuke and Ema's younger brother, but they have to save the details for later since the bell is already ringing.

Before going to their classrooms, Fuuto asks if Ema understands what he told her during their night walk at the park. He said things are much more enjoyable when he's staying around her, and that's why he decided to enter the same school. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ Fuuto was initially planning concentrate on acting instead of continuing his studies, but the director of his agency said it would be better if he entered high school, so he had no choice but to do so. Of course any high school will do, and he could choose an entertainer's course at the school his agency provided.. but he prefers having a fun school life with her. (๑´ლ`๑) Fuuto likes Ema a lot, so he's actually happy with his decision. Plus, he promises to turn her last year in high school to be an exciting and memorable one.

**[ After School Date ] **

The next day, April 12, Ema is waiting for Fuuto after school. He's going home by train today, so he wants her to come with him. Ema runs into Mahoko in the hallway, who admits that she is so jealous she might die LOL. Mahoko points out that Fuuto chose to enter their high school instead of an elite one, invites Ema to go home together, and will go back to the same home as her — it's plain impossible not to be jealous. However, Ema says there's nothing to be jealous of since Fuuto probably did everything on a whim anyway.. or did he? Soon after that, Fuuto comes to meet up with Ema. After politely exchanging greetings with Mahoko, Fuuto excuses himself and asks Ema to go home. They walk through the park along the way home, but Fuuto is clearly in a bad mood. He only gives short replies whenever she tries to talk to him, so Ema points out that he seems to be sullen right now.

Since Ema has noticed, Fuuto then asks why she said that he's only staying beside her "on a whim". After calling Ema dense, Fuuto makes it really clear that there's no way he'd enroll to a metropolitan high school on a whim. Besides, he already told her that he finds it fun to be near her. He asks if she doesn't understand what it means, even though he already showed her a side of him that's not a "brother" nor an "idol" — but as a "man". Ema finally grasps what Fuuto is trying to convey, and he says he doesn't mind that much knowing she's a fool to begin with. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Just then Fuuto sees a food cart nearby, and he goes to buy an ice cream for Ema. When she asks if he doesn't buy one for himself, he calmly leans in and takes a bite of her ice cream — saying he'll just have some of hers. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) He actually wants to have a direct kiss instead of an indirect one, but he's holding back for now since they're siblings. He's also an idol who needs to be extra careful when he goes out, but just for once, he wanted to walk home with her and visit various places along the way.

Fuuto: "An idol like me is going this far.. just for you."  
Fuuto: "So it's about time you stop acting dense."  
Fuuto: "I won't go this far if you're just a big sister."

Fuuto invites Ema to walk home together again when he's free, and her heart suddenly starts beating faster when he smiles at her. It's not a brother's not an idol's smile, but the smile of a man — directed only at her.

**[ Reward ] **

On April 30, Mahoko tells Ema that Fuuto's movie is really popular. Mahoko also mentions that Fuuto will have more fans because of the movie, and she wonders if Ema never gets jealous of them — revealing that she actually notices their relationship. Ema says she's actually happy if Fuuto gains more popularity, because he's doing his best and she wants to support him. It's just he's been extremely busy with work, so she hasn't seen him around recently. He doesn't come to school either, and she feels a bit lonely without him. Mahoko asks if Ema is waiting for Fuuto today, but she's just going to study in the library. When Ema tries to take a book from the upper shelf, Fuuto suddenly comes and calls her from behind. It's been a while, but he finally had time to come to school at noon. Ema asks if he has more work to do after this, and Fuuto says he does. He was reading a script while waiting for his manager to pick him up, but then he saw her entering the library. He teases her saying a commoner like her must be busy with entrance exams, but then he indirectly admits that he missed her too.

Fuuto then asks if he can hug Ema here, and he notices that behind his smile, he actually looks down. When she asks him what happened, Fuuto is really surprised that Ema always notices how he feels. Fuuto then asks if Ema still remembers the director's offer, and he reveals that his acting was rated "poor". Even though the movie is popular, he didn't meet the requirements and his acting career will have to wait for another chance. He did his best and was confident about the movie, so he's really sad upon hearing the result. However, Ema says she's glad to see Fuuto feeling sad.. because it's the proof that he gave it his all. He didn't give up until the end, and she's saying this knowing there's only a few people who saw how hard he worked on the movie. It's too bad that he failed this time, but since he's doing his best, another chance will surely come his way. Ema asks Fuuto to keep working hard, and next time, she wants to see him taking one step closer to his dream. Fuuto's immediate response is "バーカ", but then he says it's thanks to Ema that he could do his best without giving up. It's also her words that encouraged him to move on to the next movie, so he thanks her saying he can do it.

Just then Fuuto receives a mail from his manager, informing him that he's going to arrive in five minutes. After helping Ema taking the book she tried to reach earlier, Fuuto reveals that he has grown a few inches recently. He's gradually growing up — just as he told her before — and as the proof, he pulls her into his arms saying he can do something like this now. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Since Ema can't look him in the face, Fuuto then asks her to close her eyes instead. He asks if she wants to cross the line between them; even though they're siblings, he's an idol, and they are currently at school. They're surrounded by danger, but Fuuto says he'll become a useless man without Ema.. and he asks her to give him a "reward" for working so hard on the movie. Sadly Ema stops Fuuto saying he'll get the reward after clearing the director's challenge, but he tells her not to put herself so low. He's willing to clear any difficulties in order to make her his, so she should be prepared to be his.. and she says yes.

Fuuto obviously doesn't want to go to work with Ema still in his arms, but he sighs and agrees when she asks him to do his best. In return, he's going to her room tonight and continue what they're doing now. He won't cross the line just yet, but they can still go and stop right before they reach the limit — because he actually loves having イチャイチャ time with her. (๑´ლ`๑) Before leaving, Fuuto also says he's going to call Ema with her name instead of "姉さん" from now on. Because he wants everyone to know that she belongs to him.

**[ Secret Relationship ] **

A few days before Fuuto's new movie gets released, he gave Ema a cinema ticket and asked her to come alone. She thought it would be a date, but he's nowhere to be seen in the cinema. Even though Fuuto isn't the lead actor, Ema notices that his acting skills have improved a lot in the movie — it's much better than his previous lead role. In the middle of the movie, suddenly a familiar voice whispers "you're watching it so seriously?" into her ears. Ema is surprised, and she turns around to find Fuuto sitting next to her. He's been sitting beside her ever since the movie started, and he called her knowing she probably wouldn't notice until it ends. He knows she got absorbed by his acting, so he decided to stay quiet for a while. Fuuto says he has no more work to do today, and Ema doesn't have to worry about the press finding them together. They're a family after all, so it won't become a scandal. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Everything will be just fine if she keeps her voice down. After asking Ema not to make any noise, Fuuto kisses her on the lips and playfully adds "ごちそーさまー " at the end. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｷｬｰ Of course the press would go wild if he reveals that he's in love with his big sister, and so for now his feelings for her is their own little secret. Fuuto tells Ema that he loves her, and when she replies that she feels the same, he answers that he knows.

**[ No Holding Back ] **

One day, Ema is impatiently waiting for Fuuto in her room. He asked her to wait until he comes to see her at noon, but it's already past the time and he still hasn't showed up. Following Juli's suggestion, Ema then goes to Fuuto's room and unlocks the door with the duplicate key which he gave to her. Inside, she finds him sleeping on his bed. She can't blame him though, knowing he's been busy with work recently. He's currently working on several movies, not to mention he also acts in some dramas. As she watches Fuuto sleeping, Ema whispers that she knows he's busy.. but she feels lonely if he leaves her alone for too long. She's been looking forward to their date today, and she adds that she'll just go out with someone else. Upon hearing this, Fuuto instantly opens his eyes saying it's impossible for Ema to choose another man over him. He reveals that he's actually been awake ever since she entered his room, but he pretended to be asleep hoping she'll give him a passionate kiss.. and yet she said she will to go out with someone else instead. (* ﾟ∀ﾟ)ｱﾊﾊ八八ﾉヽﾉヽﾉヽﾉ ＼ / ＼/ ＼ As the punishment, he pulls her onto his bed and pins her underneath — saying he's going to screw her.

When Ema reminds him about their date, Fuuto changes their plan for a room date instead. He feels tired today, though they're about to do something that will make him even more tired from here. (๑´ლ`๑) Having a date would be nice, but Fuuto prefers making out with Ema as much as he wants to. He also says Yusuke — whose room is directly beside his — will hear them if she makes loud noises. Fuuto says he doesn't mind if Ema wants to let Yusuke hear her voice on purpose, but he wants to keep all the naughty sounds she makes to himself. Ema then asks him not to say such embarrassing things, and Fuuto replies by asking her not to say such cute things. It's been a while since the last time they did it, so it doesn't seem like he can hold back today. However, Ema tells Fuuto that he doesn't have to hold back. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Fuuto says he will be busy with work for a while, and he's actually afraid that someone might steal Ema from him. He believes in her though, and he asks her to believe in him too.. because she's the only one who can see him as a man, not as a family nor an idol. Fuuto then tells Ema that he loves her, and when she says she loves him too, he chuckles saying he knows.

The screen fades to black, with Fuuto whispering that he'll screw Ema without holding back.


	4. Chapter 4 Tsubaki

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Tsubaki

Tsubaki is the 5th son of the Asahina family. He's a young seiyuu at the age of 24, working as a set with his beloved twin Azusa. While he's usually playful and easygoing, Tsubaki actually has a serious side as well. Especially when it comes to work. He takes his job very seriously, and he always does his best at work. Tsubaki is also an otaku who loves anime, manga and games. He loves little sister characters with a passion, so Ema is a dream come true for him.

**[ Seiyuu Event ]**

Based on Tsubaki and Azusa's invitation, Ema goes to watch a live event on July 19. It's a live event to launch a new game, and they invite Ema knowing she's a hardcore gamer. She gets excited upon seeing their names on the event poster, so much that she squeezes Juli's tail out of pure excitement. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ When the event begins, Tsubaki and Azusa walk into the stage wearing military uniforms — their in-game characters' costume. As she hears their fans screaming their names, Ema feels that both Tsubaki and Azusa are so far away from her.. but right after they're done greeting the audience, Tsubaki throws a glance at Ema from the stage. They sing the game's theme song after that, followed by a talk show that entertains the whole audience. It's Ema's first time watching a live event, but she finds it really enjoyable.

After the live event ends, Tsubaki mails Ema and asks her to come to their dressing room. The staff guides Ema to their dressing room, and Tsubaki opens the door even before she knocks. Simply because he wants to surprise her. He then asks if their performance earlier makes her heart beat faster, adding that she'd be more than welcomed to fly into his arms. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ He's about to jump into her arms when she refuses, but since Azusa stops him from going out of control, he only asks for her opinion about today's event. Ema answers that she enjoyed it a lot, as both Tsubaki and Azusa did a great job to entertain the audience. Her favorite session was the post-looping corner though. Ema was amazed by their live voice acting, so much that she wanted to tell everyone that Tsubaki and Azusa are her brothers. Tsubaki suddenly turns silent upon hearing this, and he suddenly hugs Ema before she could even react. Azusa asks Ema to let him be for a little longer though, since Tsubaki is so happy he's blushing. (๑´ლ`๑) Tsubaki also reveals that he saw Ema from the stage earlier, and it instantly raises his tension. He asks her to come and see their event again next time, and she gladly agrees. Ema can feel Tsubaki's warmth as he hugs her, though Juli keeps raging on her shoulder.

**[ Petit Cruise ]**

or summer vacation, everyone goes on a family trip to Miwa's private island.

On August 12, the second day of the trip, Azusa punches Tsubaki when he tries to give Ema a good morning kiss. They're going to ride a boat today, and they invite her to come along with them. Ema happily accepts their invitation, and they walk to the beach after breakfast.. where she finds their "boat". She was expecting an oar-powered boat, but their boat turns out to be a small cruise ship instead. Miwa bought the ship for the island a few years ago, so they use it once a year when they visit the island. Tsubaki also reveals that most adults in the Asahina family can drive ships, and he suggests Ema to take one too in the future. Ema isn't even sure if she can get a driving license for cars, but Azusa says she should be able to get one.. since even someone like Tsubaki could get a driving license. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ He actually did well for the driving test, but he failed multiple times in the written test LOL.

With Tsubaki steering the ship, the three of them then visit a small island nearby. After a while, Azusa points out that the weather is turning bad. Heavy rain starts pouring down before they can go back to the cottage, and Tsubaki goes to check their ship while Ema waits with Azusa. Soon after, Tsubaki returns saying they're in trouble. Their ship's engine is broken, most likely due to the rain lowering the temperature. Ema asks if it means they're going to be stuck in this island forever, and Tsubaki apologizes for inviting her to join their trip. As much as Ema tries to stay calm, both Tsubaki and Azusa can see that she's really scared.. so they hold her hands and assure her that everything will be just fine. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Ema feels really happy when Tsubaki says they'll keep holding hands until her fear goes away, but Azusa soon breaks this atmosphere by asking if the ship's engine is really broken — because it's not. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Tsubaki admits that he was just joking, but Ema's reaction was way beyond his expectations. He apologizes for trolling her, but he really meant what he said to her earlier. No matter what happens, he's going to protect her. Those words work like a charm too, since Ema just can't get angry upon hearing them. (๑´ლ`๑) The rain stops falling not too long after that, and they can finally return to the cottage together.

**[ The Two of Them ]**

On the night of October 3, Ema remembers that she left her phone in the living room. She goes up to get her phone, but upon entering the living room, she finds Tsubaki and Azusa having a very suspicious conversation inside. Tsubaki suddenly confesses to Azusa, who replies that he feels the same.. but they're siblings and can never be together. It doesn't stop them though, and Tsubaki continues professing his feelings as Ema goes ･･･(〃д〃) in the background. The more she hears the conversation, the deeper her mind steps into the forbidden area LOL. Ema eventually snaps out of her reverie when Juli says it's dangerous to stay here, because they don't know what's going to happen next. Or maybe they do, but Juli definitely doesn't want to see it. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Ema quickly flees to her room, and they end up spending the whole night wide awake — thanks to the "stimulating" conversation. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Ema soon realizes that it might be a practice for voice acting though, and she forces herself to think that way. Or else she wouldn't be able to face the twins calmly. xD

The next morning, Ema reluctantly goes to prepare breakfast on the 5th floor. She's relieved to see Tsubaki and Azusa behaving as usual, but her curiosity kicks in again the moment Azusa wipes off some rice grain from Tsubaki's face. Everyone is worried to see Ema frowning, and so she decides to ask them directly: "A-A-Are you dating..?" (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Yusuke instantly spits out his miso soup, and Tsubaki puts on a mischievous smile when Ema reveals that she overhears their conversation last night. Before Azusa could say anything, Tsubaki clings onto him saying they're indeed lovers. Tsubaki also mentions about how they had a "burning night" yesterday, and he's willing to replay what happened for Ema — starting with kissing Azusa's cheek. However, Ukyou eventually stops this "joke" since they're going to be late if they don't finish their breakfast soon. As Tsubaki laughts at Ema's ?(ﾟдﾟ )? reaction, Azusa explains that they were only reading a script last night. Tsubaki is going to voice a drama CD about romance between siblings, so Azusa helped him practice by acting out the little sister's lines. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ

It doesn't change the fact that Tsubaki loves Azusa with a passion though, and he asks if Ema can't stand seeing two guys making out with each other. When Ema says she's not sure since it's an unknown world to her, Tsubaki replies that he always thought all girls love BL.. but now he knows that it's not the case. He voices BL drama CDs too and asks her to give them a try if she's interested, but of course she doesn't know anything about BL. (*ﾉ∀｀)ﾟo｡ｱﾋｬｬ While the conversation takes a weird turn at the end, Ema is extremely relieved that everything was just a misunderstanding on her part

**[ Seiyuu Magazine ]**

After a date on October 17, Tsubaki takes Ema to drop by the bookstore on the way home. He then goes to the magazine corner, where he grabs an anime magazine, a game magazine and a.. questionable magazine with cute illustration of girls on it. The last one also has "お兄ちゃん大好き Dakimakura Cover Bonus!" written on the front cover. Tsubaki is happy that he can buy his favorite magazines after a date with his beloved little sister, though Ema pretends not to hear anything instead. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Tsubaki then asks if Ema wants to buy anything, and she notices the latest issue of Dengeki Voice on the shelf — with Tsubaki and Azusa on the front cover. Tsubaki thinks it's embarrassing to buy a magazine with himself on the cover, but since Ema is interested, they decide to check the contents together. Aside from reports on their past live events, the magazine also includes an interview with both of them. They have a large section featuring Tsubaki and Azusa, which makes Ema realize that the twins are really famous. Tsubaki also mentions that they had matching bracelets during the interview, and he happily thanks Ema when she praises his fashion sense. Tsubaki actually loves accessories and clothes a lot, and he's going to choose something cute for Ema next time.

As they flip to the anime section, Tsubaki mentions that he's not working on any anime for this season. However, it's different for Azusa. Ema points out that Azusa has another exclusive interview for another anime title, where he's voicing the secondary protagonist. Ema excitedly says she needs to check out the anime, and Tsubaki also asks her to watch it because Azusa is doing his best.. but he doesn't look too happy about this. Tsubaki falls into silence after that, but when Ema asks if there's something wrong, he only says it's nothing. He puts up his usual cheerful smile as he takes her home, and while she doesn't ask further, somehow she has a very bad feeling about this.

**[ Culture Festival Day ] **

Hinode High School's culture festival takes place on October 23, and Ema is busy working as a bunny waitress in her class's cafe. At noon, Tsubaki comes to visit asks if he can kiss her since she looks really cute as a bunny. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ He thinks its only natural because she's cosplaying for him, but she refuses saying she's only wearing the costume for her class cafe LOL. Ema finds it strange to see Tsubaki without Azusa, and Tsubaki says they're meeting up here since they had different jobs today. He also adds that Azusa will appear in a minute, and much to Ema's surprise, Azusa really appears a few seconds later. It turns out both Tsubaki and Azusa can sense each other's presence whenever they're nearby, so they can tell each other's location if they're in the same area. Upon seeing Ema in her bunny suit, Azusa blushes in silence.. but then he quietly says it's nothing. (❤ฺ￫艸￩)

Since Ema is having her break, they decide to have some drink in the cafe as Tsubaki forces Yusuke to serve them — pissing off the poor guy. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Azusa has to return to work not too long after that, and so Ema will have a culture festival date with Tsubaki today. When Ema asks if he has a place that he wants to see, Tsubaki answers that he wants to visit the roof. It's his dream to do naughty things in the roof, and he needs her to make that dream come true. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Sadly it's only a joke, because Tsubaki then laughs and teasingly asks what Ema is imagining about. Mahoko also helps them by forcing Yusuke to cover Ema's remaining shifts, so Ema can enjoy the rest of the day with Tsubaki. They walk around the school and visit the roof together after that, though they don't do anything naughty. Not yet, at least.

**[ Truth ] **

A week after Rintarou and Miwa's wedding, on November 13, Ema goes to her old apartment. They asked her to help organizing their wedding photos, but she ends up finding a book which states that she's actually adopted. Before Rintarou could explain anything, Ema runs out of the apartment and cries in the park until night falls. The one who eventually finds her is Tsubaki.

Even though Tsubaki is really worried about Ema, she only asks why he's here because he's supposed to be at work. He answers that he postponed everything just to search for her, and this really surprises her since he's always serious when it comes to work. Tsubaki then asks Ema to go home, but she refuses and tells him to return to work instead. Of course Tsubaki is surprised, and he asks if Ema is serious.. because there's no way he can voice act properly after leaving her alone. When Tsubaki asks why she doesn't want to go home, Ema eventually admits it's because she's afraid to hear what Rintarou has to say. He then asks if it's because she'd feel left out if Rintarou confirms that she's adopted, and when she says yes..

**Tsubaki:** "In that case, you're stupid."  
**Ema:** "Eh..!?"  
**Tsubaki:** "Ah, stupid. You're so stupid. I never thought you're this stupid."

You said it, Tsubaki! (ﾟ∀ﾟﾉﾉ" ﾊﾟﾁﾊﾟﾁ

Tsubaki asks if Ema still remembers the day she came to live with them, reminding her that he was really happy to have a younger sister. At first it was because oｆ his 妹萌え, but as they spend more time together, he started to treasure her as a family. Even if they're not related by blood, she has become an important person to him.. and the same goes for Rintarou. Tsubaki then tells Ema that she's not alone. Those who treasure her will never leave her alone, and he wants her to understand that. If she still wants to sulk after talking to Rintarou, he will be there to comfort her. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Tsubaki also says Ema looks incredibly sour earlier, and when she denies it, he laughs saying she finally cheers up. Once again he asks her to go home, and she finally agrees — holding hands with him as they walk home together.

**[ The Important Thing ] **

After learning everything from Rintarou, Ema goes to see Tsubaki in his room. He asks if she's still feeling alone now, and he smiles when she says no. Ema thanks Tsubaki for cheering her up earlier, but he says he doesn't do anything. He just happened to be the one who found her. Everyone loves her as much as he does, and he knows they will say the same thing if they're in his position. When Ema admits that she's really happy to hear that he treasures her, Tsubaki says he will keep saying those words from now on — as long as it makes her happy. (*´∀`*) Tsubaki also says the one who saves the princess will always be a prince, which means that Ema's prince is him. (๑´ლ`๑) That, or he's a cool older brother who can't leave his little sister to cry alone. Tsubaki thinks Ema looks cute even when she cries, but he loves her smile even more. He needs to go back to work now, and he asks her not to apologize since he searched for her on his own will. Besides, he can focus now that he has seen her smile. All she needs to do is to pray that he won't make any mistakes today.

**[ Real Feelings ] **

On November 15, Ema decides to study after taking a bath.. but her determination flies out the window when Tsubaki comes and gives her a game. ｲｴ━━ヽ( ´д`)ﾉ━━ｲ! He received a copy since he's voicing a character in the game, but he would rather hear her opinion instead. Before he leaves, Ema invites Tsubaki to come in and play the game together — much to Juli's rage. Since she wants to focus on the game, Ema has no choice but to kick the poor thing out of the room and leave him in the hallway. (* ﾟ∀ﾟ)ｱﾊﾊ八八ﾉヽﾉヽﾉヽﾉ ＼ / ＼/ ＼ Soon Tsubaki's character makes an appearance, but Ema notices that Tsubaki doesn't seem happy to hear his own voice. After hearing more lines from his character, he eventually sighs saying his acting still needs a lot of improvement. The recording took place six months ago, and now he feels so embarrassed to hear the result — knowing the current him can do better than that. When Ema says he did his best to voice the character, Tsubaki sadly answers that doing his best doesn't mean his acting is good. Besides, Azusa always does a better job when it comes to acting.

Ema then says that Tsubaki is just as popular as Azusa, but Tsubaki says that's only because they're working as a set. It's very rare to see identical twins working together in this field, and Tsubaki knows people isn't loving him for his abilities as a seiyuu. He tells Ema that he's been a fan of anime and games ever since he was young, and it was his dream to be a seiyuu in the future. He entered a training school for seiyuu right after graduating from high school, and got employed by his current agency by luck. However, a part of him felt that something is missing because Azusa wasn't there to work with him. That's why he decided to bring Azusa — who was attending university back then — into the world of voice acting. Azusa then took the night course in the training school, and he caught up to Tsubaki in only a few months.. even though it took Tsubaki two years to reach the same level. Azusa is a genius who can do anything, but Tsubaki doesn't have such an amazing ability. They might be identical twins, but they're really different when it comes to skills. While Tsubaki spends his time entertaining their fans, Azusa continues brushing up his voice acting skills.

Tsubaki says he doesn't regret taking Azusa into his world, but sometimes he feels sad upon seeing the gap between their abilities. It's the first time Ema ever saw Tsubaki looking so sad, but soon he apologizes for bringing up a gloomy subject. Tsubaki cheerfully says they should continue playing the game, but Ema can see that he's forcing himself to be cheerful.. and she thanks him for telling her everything. As Ema shows him how to shoot enemies on the screen, Tsubaki suddenly hugs Ema saying he'll watch her play like this. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｷｬｰ He tells her that he decided to become a seiyuu because of a robot anime series, and he wants to voice a role in that series someday. He's aware that his acting skills are inferior compared Azusa's, but it's his dream to work for that series. Tsubaki apologizes saying he only wants Ema to know, and Ema asks Tsubaki to do his best — she will always support him. Then he jokingly asks her to "capture" him too, because he wants to be "taken down" by her.

Don't worry Tsubaki. That's what I'm doing now.

**[ Audition ] **

On December 2, Ema returns home to find Azusa standing in front of the mansion. He's talking to someone on the phone, angrily saying that he can't accept "the role" for an obvious reason. He mentions that he didn't even take the audition, and he won't change his decision even if it's the producer's request. Later on, Ukyou asks Ema to call Tsubaki since it's time for dinner. He already came home in the evening and Wataru ran into him by the elevator earlier, but he said he doesn't need dinner tonight. Tsubaki doesn't come to the living room either, and Ema asks if Azusa knows something.. but he reluctantly says he doesn't. After dinner, Ema visits Tsubaki in his room since she's worried about him. Azusa tries to say something to her, but he quickly says it's nothing and returns to his own room.

When Ema rings Tsubaki's doorbell saying she brings him dinner, he apologizes saying he has no appetite today. She then puts the tray in front of his room and excuses herself, but then he stops her and asks her to come in — there's something he wants to talk about. Inside, Tsubaki asks if Ema still remembers the robot anime he told her about. A new series will be airing next year, and the production team held an audition for the main character. Tsubaki applied and did his best, but he ended up failing the audition. He can accept the failure if it's because he's not skilled enough, but apparently that's not the reason. It's because the producer wants Azusa to voice the main character. Tsubaki was shocked upon learning that he failed, but upon learning that the role has been given to Azusa right from the start, he feels so sad and pathetic that he can't think straight anymore. He can't look at Azusa's face properly, and he's irked by his own feelings. Tsubaki then wonders if he doesn't fit to be a seiyuu, but Ema stops him from saying things he doesn't even mean. She says it's not like him at all, and he asks what does it mean to be like him then. Ema answers that the Tsubaki she knows is always so cheerful, and always does his best to reach his dreams. He treasures his fans a lot, and he loves voice acting more than anything.

Ema then asks Tsubaki to smile, though it sounds difficult right now. If he doesn't smile, Azusa will be worried about him. Upon hearing this, Tsubaki answers that Ema is right. He didn't think about Azusa's feelings at all. He still needs to sort out his feelings first, but he can't feel down in front of Azusa. Besides, he knows Azusa will probably try to refuse the role. Tsubaki then thanks Ema saying he feels better now, and he asks her to stay in his room tonight. He doesn't want to be alone today, and he wants her to stay with him. (๑´ლ`๑) Tsubaki also asks if he can hug Ema, and he takes her silence as a yes — hugging her before she could answer. He jokingly (or maybe not) says he won't let her sleep tonight, only giving her a vague smile when she asks if he's joking. Whether he's joking or not, Ema is relieved to see Tsubaki smiling again. If she can do anything to cheer him up, then she's willing to do it anytime.

**[ Christmas Eve ] **

When Christmas Eve comes, Azusa already accepted the role. Tsubaki was worried that he's really going to refuse, but in the end Azusa changed his decision. They have made up as well, since Tsubaki clings to Azusa and kisses his cheek in front of Ema.. and he doesn't let go until Azusa punches him. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ When Ema asks if they're going out tonight, Tsubaki says they ran out of light bulbs to decorate their Christmas tree with. Ukyou asked him to buy some new ones, while Azusa is going out for work. They're heading towards the same direction, and so they decided to walk there together. Tsubaki complains that Ukyou is being mean by stressing at how free he is tonight, and since Ema has no plans either, he invites her to come along with him. Azusa also asks Ema to go with Tsubaki, since Tsubaki is a big kid who will definitely buy unnecessary things if she doesn't keep him under watch. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Ema is surprised by the sudden invitation, but she's actually happy to spend her Christmas Eve with Tsubaki.

On the way home, Ema and Tsubaki watch the beautiful illuminations together. He jokingly asks if she's glad to join his shopping trip, and she honestly answers yes. When she thanks him for taking her along, he whispers that she always cheers him up — both now and back when he was feeling down after the audition. Tsubaki thanks Ema as he gently pats her head, and Ema replies that Tsubaki can talk to her anytime.. so he should keep moving forward. Just like how he always does. Tsubaki feels bad since Ema ends up looking out for him, but she replies that his smile cheers up a lot of people. That's why she wants him to keep smiling for everyone. If there are times when he finds it difficult to smile, then she's going to bring the smile back to his face. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* As a sign of gratitude for cheering him up, Tsubaki gives Ema a bracelet and puts it onto her wrist. It's also to fulfill his promise to choose something cute for her, and it makes her happy that he remembered. Since Ema's hands are cold, Tsubaki then warms them up with his breath and takes them into his pocket. He asks if she hates it, and when she says she doesn't, he admits that he won't let go even if she says yes.

**Ema:** "You're as forceful as usual."  
**Tsubaki:** "That's my charm, right?"  
**Ema:** "I'm not sure, but I'm happy with your feelings. Thank you!"

Tsubaki points out that Ema has thanked him multiple times today, but then he asks her not to apologize. He actually loves a relationship where they can honestly thank each other, and it makes him even happier when she agrees with him. (*´ｰ`*人*´ｰ`*) They walk home together after that, and Tsubaki walks Ema to her room before giving the light bulbs to Ukyou.

**[ New Year's Day ] **

On New Year's Day, everyone goes to pray at the shrine together. Upon arriving at the shrine, Tsubaki invites Ema to join him, Azusa and Natsume as they offer their prayers together. After praying, the four of them go to draw omikuji and compare the results. The triplets do this every year, and Tsubaki calls it the "main event" to start their new year.. though Azusa and Natsume aren't sure if it's worth getting excited over. Not to mention the one who draws the worst luck will have to treat the rest for lunch, and Natsume has been losing for two years in a row. Poor guy has no luck. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Ema decides to take the challenge, and she draws a "lucky" omikuji while the triplets got.. "great misfortune" LOL. Tsubaki doesn't want to accept this, and he makes them draw the omikuji once again. On their second try, Ema draws a "great fortune" omikuji while the triplets got yet another "great misfortune". ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Tsubaki wants to draw another one, but Azusa stops him since they have drawn two "great misfortune"s in a row — which means the three of them are cursed with bad luck this year. xD Beside them, Ema laughs saying it seems like this year will become a good year. In the end, Tsubaki, Azusa and Natsume all pay for anything Ema wants to eat.

**[ Azusa's Health ] **

On February 6, Azusa comes to the living room when Ukyou and Ema are preparing breakfast. He doesn't look too well, and he's asking for a medicine for headache. Ema asks if he's alright, and Azusa admits that he's been feeling sick for the last three days. She suggests visiting the hospital, but he has no time to rest since he's busy with work recently. Then suddenly, Azusa collapses onto the floor — whispering that his head hurts. Ukyou quickly goes to call Masaomi, but Tsubaki soon walks into the living room.. and he's shocked upon seeing Azusa's condition. He immediately runs over to hug Azusa, but Ukyou asks him not to move Azusa because they don't know the cause of the pain yet. When Masaomi comes to the living room, Tsubaki's still in a panic and asks him to save Azusa. He refuses to let go of Azusa, so eventually Ukyou asks if he's going to kill Azusa by getting in the way. Tsubaki can only watch in silence as Masaomi examines Azusa, and in the end Azusa is taken to the hospital. Ukyou also goes to inform their brothers about what happened, leaving Tsubaki and Ema on the fifth floor.

Tsubaki remains silent for a while, but when Ema tries to cheer him up, he finally realizes that she's shivering. He apologizes for drowning in his own sorrow even though she's worried as well, and he gently hugs her — saying they'll go to the hospital once he calms down. Ema also feels calmer in Tsubaki's arms, and they visit the hospital together after that.. where they learn that Azusa needs to be hospitalized for a while. Masaomi says that Azusa's condition is pretty bad right now, but it should be more stable after two more days. He absolutely needs rest and they can't visit him for today, but Masaomi assures them that they will be able to see him soon. At first Tsubaki insists that he can't go home before seeing Azusa, so Ema tells him Azusa will only get worried if he sees Tsubaki's current expression. Besides, Tsubaki has to inform their manager about Azusa's condition. It finally reminds him about their job, and he agrees to leave Azusa in Masaomi's hands for now — it's for their own sake. Before Tsubaki goes home with Ema, Masaomi promises that he'll inform Tsubaki once Azusa is allowed to receive visitors.

**[ Substitute ] **

On February 11, exactly five days after Azusa got hospitalized, Tsubaki receives a call from their manager. Azusa needs to be hospitalized for approximately a month, and the production team can't wait that long.. so they want Tsubaki to voice the robot anime's main character as Azusa's substitute. Their manager says he can refuse since he must be feeling complicated about this, but she knows that Azusa would want him to take the offer. Because up until the moment he decided to accept the role, Azusa kept saying the role belongs to Tsubaki. After a short silence, Tsubaki eventually answers that he'll take the role. However, he knows they're only looking at him as nothing more than Azusa's replacement. It's not something he can solve just by thinking about it, but he doesn't have the confidence to match Azusa's abilities either.

**[ Valentine's Day ] **

For Valentine's Day, Ema makes a handmade chocolate for Tsubaki. He can't believe his eyes when she gives him the chocolate, and he has to make sure that it's not an obligatory one. He could only receive a chocolate from his little sister in games, in his dreams and in his delusions before, so he's more than delighted to receive her chocolate. Tsubaki's otaku side completely comes out here, as he wonders if he's going to get Ema's "affection MAX event" by choosing the right choice. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ What choice?

1. "I'm so happy. Thank you."  
2. "I-It's not like I'm happy or anything! ..but thanks."

Jokes aside, Tsubaki thanks Ema and says he never felt so happy upon receiving a chocolate from a girl before. Lately he's been feeling down because of what happened to Azusa, so her chocolate really cheers him up. Tsubaki promises to return the favor in White Day, asking Ema to look forward to his present. Ema is still worried about Tsubaki, but since he looks so happy, she's glad that she gave her chocolate to him today.

**[ Pressure ] **

On February 20, Ema enters the living room and finds Tsubaki reading a script with a serious expression. In fact, he doesn't even notice her presence until she brings some coffee for him. When Ema points out that he's frowning, Tsubaki is surprised that she watches him that much. He says he needs to be careful not to make her worry, but she already notices that he doesn't look well. Tsubaki then explains that he was asked to become Azusa's substitute for the robot anime, but sadly things aren't going well for him. He's doing his best to act perfectly — just like how Azusa always does — but he just can't pull it off. The role initially belongs to Azusa, and that's why Tsubaki thinks he needs to replace Azusa completely. However, Ema tells Tsubaki that she loves his voice. Every role he plays is always full of life, and his voice always makes her heart beat faster. Ema says Azusa has a wonderful voice too, but it's completely different from Tsubaki's. She also reminds him that even if he got selected to be Azusa's substitute, he can never become Azusa. They're two different people, and Ema knows Tsubaki has his own charms that won't lose to anyone else.

Upon hearing Ema's words, Tsubaki eventually snaps out of it and thanks her for opening his eyes. Tsubaki says he's not sure if he has such strong charms, but as long as he has Ema by his side and cheering him on, he will continue doing his best. He asks her to watch the result, because he's going to create a main character who can only be voiced by him. Now that he's back to his usual self, Tsubaki asks if his voice is the only thing Ema loves from him. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Ema blushes saying it's a secret and looks away, but Tsubaki doesn't mind. If she looks away, then he only needs to make her face his way. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ He then pulls her closer and kisses her, saying it's a sign of gratitude for cheering him up.. though the kiss probably cheers him up even more. (๑´ლ`๑) Tsubaki then asks if he can kiss her again, and Ema just can't resist as he kisses her forehead, eyelids, cheeks and finally her lips. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ She knows they shouldn't do this since they're siblings, but her head feels blank upon hearing his voice.

**[ White Day ] **

On White Day, Tsubaki asks Ema to see him at the station after school. His present for her is a date, and he will listen to everything she says today. For their first destination, Tsubaki invites Ema to eat some cake together. He knows a nice cafe that allows the customers to wear their waiter uniform, so he's going to borrow one and give her full service — using his voice acting to satisfy her even more. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* When Tsubaki says a poetic line as an example, Ema immediately translates it as "Welcome home. Do you want to eat, take a bath.. or me?" ..which also surprises herself, because it means she has received his otaku influence that much LOL. Tsubaki is also planning to go to the karaoke after that, where he's going to present a medley of character songs and anime songs for Ema. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Knowing that Tsubaki is always busy with work, Ema feels happy that he arranged his schedule just to see her today.

**[ The Day of Discharge ] **

After spending a month in the hospital, Azusa is finally discharged on March 28. Tsubaki is the one who picks him up, and he also takes Ema along. Azusa has completely recovered, though Ema is shocked upon hearing that he needs to return to work in two days. Because according to Tsubaki, their manager is a merciless demon. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Before leaving the hospital room, Tsubaki honestly tells Azusa that he's been holding a complex regarding the gap in their voice acting skills. He was sad when they picked Azusa over him to voice the main character, and he was stressed when they asked him to become Azusa's substitute.. but he already got over those feelings. Tsubaki already realized that his acting is different from Azusa's, so he's going to pursue his own acting from now on. He feels proud to have Azusa as a brother, but Azusa is also his rival.. and so he won't lose. After thanking Tsubaki for telling him everything, Azusa says he loves Tsubaki's straightforward side a lot — that's why he won't lose either.

As Ema smiles beside them, Tsubaki then says that he can grow out of his complex thanks to her. He immediately clings to her saying it's a "thank you & I love you hug", but Azusa punches him before he completely goes out of control. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ When Tsubaki protests, Azusa whispers that Tsubaki should allow him to do this much just for today. He quietly tells Ema that he actually loves her too, but he knows her heart only belongs to Tsubaki. ｡･ﾟ･(*ﾉД`*)･ﾟ･。The three of them go back to the mansion after that, and Ema feels glad to see Tsubaki and Azusa smiling together after being apart for so long.

**[ More Special Than Anyone Else ] **

On April 30, Tsubaki invites Ema to come to his room after dinner. He notices that she must be thinking of something naughty, and he's willing to turn her imagination into reality.. but today he only wants to watch an anime together. (๑´ლ`๑) It's a new series, and Azusa is voicing the main character. Tsubaki never takes his eyes off the screen until the episode ends, and Ema's wondering if he' still comparing himself to Azusa — especially since he says Azusa's acting is really good. However, Tsubaki cheerfully says he won't lose. He can learn a lot from Azusa's acting, but it doesn't mean he needs to become Azusa. Ema has opened his eyes, and he will move forward with his own acting. He's also planning to practice by himself from now on, so Azusa will be surprised to see his improvements later. Ema is worried since it means Tsubaki and Azusa will spend less time together, but Tsubaki replies that it's about time for him to part with his beloved twin — as unbelievable as that may sound.

Since Tsubaki won't practice with Azusa anymore, he then asks Ema to help him practicing his lines instead. Ema says she'll probably mess up the words and won't be able to fill in Azusa's role, but Tsubaki doesn't mind. He only wants her to help him practice, and her presence alone is more than enough to make him happy. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Soon Ema realizes that it's already so late, and she says she'll return to her room since Tsubaki has to work tomorrow. However, he suddenly stops her before she walks out and kisses her on the lips. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Tsubaki then says he can pursue his own acting knowing Ema will be there by his side, and he asks if he's wrong. When Ema answers that he's right, Tsubaki chuckles and says he now has someone who's even more important than Azusa.. and he finally confesses that he loves her. He loves her a lot as a sister, but he wants her to be his girlfriend from now on. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ Ema admits that she feels the same, and she asks if Tsubaki is really sure about this. He's a famous seiyuu while she's just a student, not to mention they're also a family. Tsubaki says he doesn't mind, and he will keep saying he loves her until she agrees. Except there's no need to go that far since she loves him too. ｲﾔﾝ (*´∀`)σ)))))*3ﾟ),･´. Tsubaki asks Ema to look at only him from now on, and she answers that she will always be by his side.

**[ Lovers ] **

Ever since they started going out, Ema has been helping Tsubaki with practice. He's voicing a character in a historical gag anime right now, but one night he takes out a script for a romance story and asks her to help him practice. At first Ema is reluctant, but she has no choice but to agree since Tsubaki is giving her the puppy eyes. (๑´ლ`๑) During the confession scene, he totally uses the chance to snuggle up to her. When she asks if he's been aiming for this right from the start, he smiles saying they're lovers after all — they can cuddle anytime. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Ema blushes upon hearing the word "lovers", and Tsubaki teasingly calls her "cute" until she sulks. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ Tsubaki then says that his dream is to make people happy with his voice, but it's different for Ema. He wants to make her happy with his everything. She's the only one for him, and he asks if she's willing to accept his everything. When Ema answers "of course!", Tsubaki says he's the happiest person on earth.. and they have an adorable argument about which one of them is happier.

After making sure Ema isn't angry anymore, Tsubaki pulls her closer, kisses her and whispers that he loves her. Then he takes off her side tail saying it would be on the way when they go to sleep, asking her to stay in his room tonight. He initially asked her to come over to help him practice, but he changed his mind. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Tsubaki also reveals that his room is actually soundproof, so Ema doesn't have to worry about disturbing anyone during practice. Or when they do "other" things. ﾟ+.(*ﾉωヾ*)ｬﾝ +ﾟ It can't be helped, since naughty things start appearing in his mind even though they're only talking to each other. He loves her so much that he can't hold back anymore. As he kisses her again, Tsubaki asks Ema to give herself to him.. and then the screen fades to black.

**[ My Exclusive Privilege ] **

One afternoon, Ema is meeting up with Tsubaki outside. He told her that he'll be late because of work, but she's been waiting for a while now. Ema is happy to see Tsubaki receiving more work offers recently, but a part of her feels lonely too since he became busier than before — though she can't bring herself to tell him about this. Just then an unfamiliar voice surprises her, and a pair of arms suddenly hugs her from behind. Ema obviously panics, but then she turns around to find out that it's actually Tsubaki.

**Tsubaki:** "Sorry, I'm late. Are you okay? Did anyone hit on you?"  
**Ema:** "In that case, I thought a stranger just hugged me from behind!"  
**Tsubaki:** "Ahaha. This is my new character's voice~ Are you surprised?"  
**Ema:** "I thought my heart was going to stop. Please don't do that."  
**Tsubaki:** "I can't help it since you're so cute."  
**Tsubaki:** "Besides, hugging you is my exclusive privilege.

When Ema says it's true, Tsubaki gets really happy since she just confirmed that he's the only one allowed to touch her. (๑´ლ`๑) He tells her not to worry because he won't let other men bug her when they're together, but he asks her to be careful when she's alone. Tsubaki also says he really loves it when Ema says "yes", but he thinks it's about time she stops speaking so formally to him. For now, he wants her to start calling him "Tsubaki". (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Ema refuses saying they're in public right now — even though no one listens to them — so Tsubaki makes her promise that she will call his name when they're alone. Then he says they should go visit a place where they can be alone now. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Besides, he's been missing her because of his busy schedule — he needs her to charge his energy. Tsubaki then asks Ema to give him the answer he loves, and she smiles as she says "yes."


	5. Chapter 5 Masaomi

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Masaomi

Masaomi is the eldest son of the Asahina family. He's 31 and works as a pediatrician, which fits his children-loving and gentle personality. Ever since their father passed away, Masaomi has been taking care of Wataru and becomes the father figure of his life. He rarely snaps or gets angry over anything, but he turns incredibly terrifying when he does. Masaomi is rather laid-back, and he spends most of his free time relaxing at home. He loves his family a lot.

**[ At Work ]**

On June 15, Ema returns home and finds an envelope lying on the table. It has the logo of the hospital Masaomi works at, and she calls him thinking the contents might be important. It turns out he left the house in a hurry today, and so he forgot about the envelope. Ema then decides to deliver it to the hospital, where she finds Masaomi talking to one of his patients — a young boy who just took an injection. Aside from praising the boy for not crying, he also encourages the boy to keep fighting against his illness. He then gives the boy a chocolate, saying he'll see him again next week. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* This is Ema's first time seeing Masaomi at work, and she can tell that he loves children a lot. Soon after the boy goes home, Ema goes over to hand the envelope to Masaomi. He blushes when she comments that his patients clearly love him a lot, and how she's wishing to have a doctor like him when she was small. She didn't really like the hospital, so having a kind doctor like him would make her check-ups more enjoyable.

Noticing the big bulge in Masaomi's lab coat pockets, Ema then asks him about the contents. He shows her that they're all presents for the children who are doing their best to recover, which are mostly sweets.. but since it's not good to eat too much sweets, he also prepared toys like stickers and mini cars for them. Ema also notices a big bunny plushie in Masaomi's pocket, and he introduces her to "Usa-tan". (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Usa-tan helps distracting the children, so he can treat them while they're playing with the plushie. Wataru also has one, just in a different color. The one Masaomi is carrying is Usa-tan #1, while the one Wataru has is Usa-tan #0. Masaomi explains that Usa-tan is "highly functional", but before he can show Ema the features, a nurse calls him to return to work. Masaomi apologizes since he needs to get going, and he promises to treat Ema next time. It's a reward for delivering the envelope today, and he's going to tell her more about Usa-tan as well.

**[ Summer Memories ]**

For summer vacation, everyone goes on a family trip to Miwa's private island.

On the third day of the trip, August 13, Ema finds Masaomi in front of the cottage after taking a bath. He asks if she enjoys the trip, and she answers that she's having a lot of fun. Time pass so quickly, and she feels a bit sad that they have to return home tomorrow. Masaomi says that he feels the same, so he invites Ema to make summer memories before they go home. He then takes her to the beach, where they play fireworks together. (๑´ლ`๑) He actually wanted to invite Wataru as well, but Wataru already went to bed.. and he wonders if it feels lacking with just the two of them. However, Ema says she enjoys her time with Masaomi. They rarely have any chance to play with fireworks together, so she actually feels happy. As they gaze at their incense fireworks, Ema tells Masaomi that she spent most of her time alone in the past.. so it's her first time having a lively family trip. She loves traveling with Rintarou, but having a trip with a lot of siblings is like a dream come true for her. He answers that the dream will always come true from now on, so she should make a lot of memories with them as a family.

Before returning to the cottage, Ema thanks Masaomi for taking her to play fireworks together. She feels touched that he treats her as a member of the family, and she's hoping to spend her summer with everyone again next year.

**[ Dislike ]**

When Ema is washing the dishes on September 1, Masaomi comes and asks if she can wash his cup along. He feels apologetic for not helping, but he needs to go out for a night shift from now on. She thinks being a doctor must be tough since he has to work until late hours, and he agrees.. but he wants to do his best for the children who are waiting for him. She asks him to take care of his own health, and he pats her head saying she should get some rest too every once in a while. (*´ｰ`*人*´ｰ`*) Noticing that Ema seems surprised, Masaomi apologizes and asks if it surprises her. She quickly answers that she's just not used to it, but she accidentally drops his cup out of embarrassment. Ema panics and apologizes for breaking Masaomi's cup, but he's more concerned about her safety instead. He then asks if she's not hurt, and he looks visibly shaken upon seeing a cut on her finger. Fortunately the cut isn't deep, but it's bleeding. As much as Masaomi wants to treat the injury, he gradually turns pale and collapses — telling Ema that he actually hates blood. She helps carrying him to the couch, and after resting for a while, he forces himself to treat her finger.

Curious about what she just saw, Ema then asks why Masaomi became a doctor even though he can't stand blood. He explains that soon after the triplets were born, Miwa started working and had a hard time balancing her job and her sons. Their father was working too, and seeing how busy his parents were, Masaomi wanted to do something to help them. He thought about having a stable profession, and the first thing that came into his mind was to become a doctor. Besides, he'll be able to help his family with his medical knowledge. If they have a doctor in the family, Miwa wouldn't have to worry about everyone at home. When Ema says Miwa must be relieved to have Masaomi, he blushes saying he's always busy at work and leaves their home in Ukyou's care.. but her words make him happy. .｡ﾟ+.ヽ(*´∀`*)ﾉﾟ+.ﾟ。. However, his dislike for blood was completely a miscalculation. He used to be fine with blood until he had to perform a practice surgery in university, since it was far more horrifying than he thought. Ema then asks why he decided to become a pediatrician, and Masaomi says it's because there's only a small number of pediatrician right now. He wants to help people as much as he can, even though he hates blood and always collapses after each treatment.

Masaomi then says he only thinks about healing the children who are in pain, and Ema replies that she can understand why his patients love him so much. He's really kind, and he treats his patients with utmost care. Upon hearing this, Masaomi thanks Ema saying he doesn't deserve those words. Then he blushes and asks her to stop praising him, because "it's embarrassing." (๑´ლ`๑) Masaomi leaves for work after that, and Ema feels happy that he shared his reason to become a doctor. Inspired by him, she decides to think about her own future too.

**[ Getting Sick ]**

On October 15, Ema caught a cold and is down with a fever. At noon, Masaomi comes to visit her with some sports drink to replenish her energy. He asks if he can check her condition, and she gladly allows him to come inside. First, Masaomi takes Ema's temperature by pushing their foreheads against each other. Ema obviously goes Σ(〃д〃) since Masaomi's face is so close to hers, while he calmly asks if she has eaten anything today. Apparently she has no appetite thanks to the cold, so he says he'll bring some food for her later. As Masaomi checks her sore throat, Ema realizes that he's actually treating her like a kid — like how he treats his patients in the hospital. However, the situation completely changes the moment Masaomi starts examining Ema's stomach. Masaomi asks Ema to show her stomach, but taken over by her nervousness, she ends up lifting her room wear too high — exposing her bra to him. ＼(^o^)／ He obviously turns red and awkwardly examines her stomach, apologizing in a panic when she goes "んっ" upon sensing the stethoscope touching her skin.

After a long, awkward silence, Masaomi takes Usa-tan and tells Ema to get enough rest until her fever goes down. She asks if he also carries the bunny around at home, and he says it's just a coincidence today. He was thinking of "upgrading" Usa-tan, so he brought it home from the hospital. Masaomi then shows Ema that Usa-tan has a lot of functions, just as he told her before. While it looks like a normal bunny plushie, Usa-tan is actually equipped with 20 hidden pockets — including the ones inside its ear holes. It can also record and play sounds, as well as turning into a calculator. Plus, its right arm will.. come off.. if they twist it, and they can take stationery from inside. Σ(-`Д´-ﾉ；)ﾉ?! Ema is obviously shocked, and when she reluctantly tells him the last function should be forbidden, Masaomi says the nurses also warned him not to do that in front of the children. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ No worries though, because he's going to add better functions in Usa-tan's latest upgrade. Masaomi then apologizes for talking to Ema for so long even though she has a sore throat, and he says he'll get some food for her.

**Masaomi:** "Well then, we'll continue later."  
**Ema:** "Eh? C-Continue…?"  
**Masaomi:** "…? Eh?"  
**Masaomi:** "W-Wa-wa-wah! I-I didn't mean anything weird…!" Σ(〃д〃)  
**Ema:** "Ah, yes. You meant the examination, right?"  
**Masaomi:** "Yes. I'll go to the living room then!"

..and then he flees.

**[ Culture Festival Day ]**

Hinode High School's culture festival takes place on October 23, and Ema is busy working as a bunny waitress in her class's cafe. At noon, Masaomi comes to visit her along with Wataru. Upon seeing Ema wearing a bunny costume, Wataru excitedly says she looks super cute and Masaomi agrees. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ He asks if everyone in her class is wearing a bunny costume, and she explains that it's only the girls. However, his smile changes into a frown the moment she mentions that a lot of guests took pictures of her today. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ It doesn't last for a long time though, since Wataru soon invites Ema to walk around the school together. He also wants to invite Yusuke, but sadly Yusuke already left the classroom earlier. The moment they walk out of the classroom, they run into Mahoko in the hallway. She's really surprised to see Ema with such a cute little boy, and she asks if Wataru is Ema's hidden child. When Masaomi chuckles beside them, Mahoko wonders if he's "the papa". ｲﾔﾝ (*´∀`)σ)))))*3ﾟ),･´.､ After introducing herself, Mahoko takes Wataru to buy cotton candies together so Ema can be alone with Masaomi. Ema asks if they should follow Wataru and Mahoko, and Masaomi answers that he wants to look around the school together along the way.

**[ Truth ]**

A week after Rintarou and Miwa's wedding, on November 13, Ema goes to her old apartment. They asked her to help organizing their wedding photos, but she ends up finding a book which states that she's actually adopted. Before Rintarou could explain anything, Ema runs out of the apartment and cries in the park until night falls. The one who eventually finds her is Masaomi.

Masaomi says he was really worried about Ema, and yet the first thing she asks is "why are you here?" ┐(´～`；)┌ He explains that Rintarou called to explain everything, and he asks her to go home because Rintarou is waiting for her. However, she coldly replies that she doesn't want to see Rintarou. Ema couldn't bring herself to state the reason, but Masaomi tells her that she doesn't have to force herself. She doesn't have to say anything if it's too painful, but she doesn't have to act strong either. They're a family, so it's okay for her to show her weakness in front of him. It would be even more painful if she carries everything by herself, and sharing her sadness with her family will make her feel better. If she ever needs someone to talk to, he will listen to everything.. because that's what families are for. Ema eventually admits that she's afraid to be left alone after hearing the truth, but Masaomi gently answers that it won't happen to her. No matter what happens, he will always be with her. If she still feels sad after listening to what Rintarou has to say, he wants her to come and see him. She can rely on him anytime. Masaomi then holds out his hand, asking Ema to go home, and she finally agrees.

**[ The Important Thing ]**

After learning everything from Rintarou, Ema goes to see Masaomi in his room. He's glad that Rintarou and her have resolved their family issue, and she says it's all thanks to him. Masaomi says Ema is the one who did her best to move forward, but Ema knows that without Masaomi, she'll probably cry in the park forever. As the reward, Masaomi then gives Ema a reward — a chestnut-flavored limited edition candy.

**[ Miwa's Request ]**

On December 1, Miwa visits the mansion looking for Masaomi. It seems like she wants to talk in private, and Ema finds herself feeling curious of what it could be. Kaname immediately notices, so he goes to call Masaomi in his room. When Ema serves some tea for Miwa, the latter quietly mutters about how she prefers Ema instead.. but then she quickly says it's nothing. Wataru is curious too, and when Kaname comes back with Masaomi, Miwa finally reveals that she has a request for Masaomi: "Please attend an arranged matchmaking!" Σ(-`Д´-ﾉ；)ﾉ Masaomi instantly spits out his tea upon hearing this, while Miwa calmly explains that he'll be seeing the daughter of her business partner during the event — who has taken a liking on him.

Masaomi says he's not thinking of getting married anytime soon, but Miwa replies that it's been decided. Today she only came to inform him about the time and place, and so he should take a break from work for the matchmaking. When Masaomi tries to protest, Miwa eventually admits that she couldn't refuse because her business partner already arranged everything.. and she begs Masaomi to come and attend the matchmaking. If he doesn't want to get married, then he can turn down the marriage afterwards. Masaomi obviously has no choice but to agree, and he returns to his room looking down. Soon after he leaves, Kaname invites Ema and Wataru to spy on the matchmaking with him. Realizing the weird, unpleasant feelings inside of her, Ema ends up accepting Kaname's invitation.

**[ The Matchmaking Day ]**

Just as they have planned, Kaname takes Ema and Wataru to spy on Masaomi's matchmaking on December 5. They follow him all the way to a hotel, only to realize there's no way it's going to take place in an open space. Masaomi is inside a private room in the hotel's restaurant, and Kaname gets this information by hitting on the staff. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Wataru also says that Kaname asked for the staff's phone number in the process, and Kaname answers that asking for a woman's phone number is like manners to him. He's going to stop hitting on other women if Ema answers all of his questions, but she coldly tells him to do his best in collecting numbers since she won't tell him anything. Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒(。A。)ｱﾋｬﾋｬﾋｬﾋｬ! Of course they can't sneak into the restaurant's private rooms, but not too long after that, Masaomi walks out with the matchmaking partner. Kaname quickly takes the chance to listen to their conversation, dragging both Ema and Wataru along.

From the shadows, Kaname, Ema and Wataru can hear bits and pieces of their conversation. They can hear Masaomi's voice, but they can't hear what the woman says at all. The woman is really pretty, and Kaname mentions that Ema will be incredibly beautiful too in a few years.. but Ema doesn't hear this since she feels sad thinking Masaomi might marry his matchmaking partner. However, they soon hear Masaomi turning down the arranged marriage. He tells his matchmaking partner that he's in love with someone else, and he can't think of dating anyone other than that person. Ema is shocked to hear this, while Kaname only hums in amusement. Now that they know Masaomi won't get married anytime soon, Kaname takes Ema and Wataru home before Masaomi notices their presence.. but Ema can't stop thinking about what she just heard. Masaomi's voice was really firm and dignified, and it actually makes her feel worse.

**[ Christmas is Coming ]**

On December 20, Kaname mentions that Christmas is coming soon. While Kaname and Tsubaki teases Subaru about his (nonexistent) Christmas date, Masaomi comes to ask for Ema's help. Every year the hospital throws a Christmas party for the children, and he's thinking of buying some sweets for the present. He thinks girls have better sense when it comes to sweets, and he asks if she can help him choose which present to buy. Masaomi apologizes and asks if it's troubling her, but Ema gladly agrees to help. He says people get depressed when they're sick, especiallly children, so he wants to cheer them up with sweets. Ema jokingly says she's got a big responsibility in choosing those sweets, but Masaomi replies that her love will reach them if she puts her heart into picking the present. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* They agree to go shopping on his next day off, and Ema decides to do her best — both for the children and for Masaomi.

**[ Christmas at the Hospital ]**

On December 24, Ema spends her Christmas Eve with Masaomi in the hospital — partying with the children. Masaomi is worried that she might be tired after the party, but Ema actually found it fun to play with the children. Masaomi feels bad since the children keep asking if Ema is his girlfriend, but she quietly admits that she doesn't hate it. (๑´ლ`๑) They walk home together in silence after that, and Ema wonders what Masaomi thinks about her "confession" earlier.. but it's only until he takes out a big present and gives it to her — saying it's a sign of gratitude for today. When she opens the wrapping, she finds a yellow Usa-tan inside. He explains that it's Usa-tan #3, and he uses a cute voice to make the bunny say hello to her. He also asks her to hold Usa-tan whenever she feels sad, because a lot of "power" will come out of his back and make her happy again. ﾟ+.ｏ(*萌´д`从´д`萌*)ｏ.+ﾟ Ema feels really happy to have an Usa-tan, and especially because Masaomi says Usa-tan #3 can come to see Usa-tan #1 anytime. That means she's always welcomed to come and see him.

When Ema happily thanks Masaomi for the present, he laughs and admits that he was nervous before giving it to her. That's why he was so quiet earlier. Masaomi also says that Usa-tan #3 has more functions compared to Usa-tan #0 and Usa-tan #1, and he asks her to try it out later. Ema then asks if Masaomi made Usa-tan by himself, and when he shyly says yes, she replies that she's going to treasure it forever. She wonders if it's okay for her to think that he made it while thinking about her, and he admits that it's true — he made it just for her.

**[ New Year's Day ]**

On New Year's Day, everyone goes to pray at the shrine together. Since Miwa forces Ema to wear a beautiful kimono for the shrine visit, Masaomi is worried that it might cause Ema to get tired. He apologizes in Miwa's behalf as they walk back to the mansion, but she says that she actually feels happy because it's her first time wearing a kimono. When Ema comments about how she looks nice just because of the kimono, Masaomi blushes and quietly tells her that it's not true.. because he thinks the kimono really suits her. (๑´ლ`๑) He says she should wear it again whenever she wants to, since Miwa will surely be happy to see her wearing a kimono. Ema then asks if everyone always visit the shrine together each year, and Masaomi answers that it depends on their schedule, but they always do their best to take a break from work for the New Year's Day. Masaomi asks Ema to visit the shrine with everyone again next year, and she happily thanks him.

Just then Wataru comes to see them, and he informs Masaomi that everyone is going to do a "board game without honor" once they return home. Of course Masaomi goes ?( ﾟДﾟ )? upon hearing this, and when he asks about the details, Wataru says it's a game you're going to lose in an instant if you drop your guard. If you lose, a scary man will come to collect your debt and throw you to the underground empire.

**Masaomi:** "… Wataru. Who is it that bought that game?"  
**Wataru:** "Tsukku~n!"  
**Masaomi:** "So it's really Tsubaki…!"  
**Ema:** (Ahh… Masaomi-san got angry so early in the new year!)  
**Masaomi:** "Okay, Wataru. Let's play together. We'll make Tsubaki lose!"

Goodbye, Tsubaki. It was nice knowing you.

Wataru also says the winner will have one wish granted, though Masaomi knows it's probably Tsubaki too who suggested the idea LOL. Wataru then invites Ema to join them, and Masaomi is shocked when she says yes. xD Ema asks if Masaomi has a wish if he wins the game, and he answers that he's wishing for everyone in the family to be happy this year. It's completely different than whatever wish Tsubaki is trying to achieve, but Ema chuckles saying it's just like Masaomi to have such a nice wish. He blushes upon hearing this, though it soon changes into a worried expression when she asks him to enjoy the board game together.

**[ On a Date ]**

On January 9, Ema asks Masaomi out on a date. He'll drive his car since it's cold today, and he asks if she wants to go on a drive to a faraway place for once. (๑´ლ`๑) Masaomi opens the door for Ema to enter his car, but then he suddenly notices someone lying on the alley nearby. Ema follows Masaomi as he rushes to the alley, where they find an unconscious old lady lying on the ground. Masaomi quickly checks the old lady's pulse and respiratory rate — which are both declining — and he asks Ema to call the ambulance and search for an AED. He's going to perform basic life support in the meantime. He's drenched in sweat when she returns with the AED, and she asks if there's something she do to help.. so he asks her to call the old lady and tell him if there's any reactions. Luckily the old lady soon regains her consciousness, and the ambulance also comes not too long after that. Both Masaomi and Ema accompany the old lady to the hospital, and it's already evening when they walk back home.

Ema feels glad the old lady is safe, and her family is really thankful that Masaomi noticed her in the alley.. but he feels bad since their date got cancelled because of this. However, she asks him not to apologize. It's too bad that they couldn't go on a drive, but today has become a more important day to her. Ema says Masaomi looked so cool and wonderful when he tried to save the old lady, and so it has become an unforgettable day for her. Masaomi blushes for a while, and then he suddenly pulls Ema into his arms — thanking her for always giving him strength. She might not realize it, but her smile and words are always encouraging him. He apologizes for hugging her so suddenly and lets her go after a while, but then he asks her to let him walk her back to her room. He wants to stay with her for a little longer. ﾟ+.ｏ(*萌´д`从´д`萌*)ｏ.+ﾟ Masaomi reluctantly holds Ema's hand along the way, and he doesn't let go until the end.

**[ Valentine's Day ]**

For Valentine's Day, Ema gives a handmade chocolate to Masaomi. He was supposed to come home early today, but he ends up returning late due to an emergency.. so he's really tired and already went to bed when she visits to his room. Ema feels really bad for waking Masaomi up, and she tries to leave thinking her chocolate will only be a burden to him. However, he stops her and asks her not to hold back. No matter how tired he is, she's always welcomed to talk to him anytime. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ When Ema gives him the chocolate, Masaomi looks at her in confusion because he doesn't remember that today is Valentine's Day. xD He didn't expect to receive anything from her, so her chocolate makes him really happy. Masaomi blushes saying he'll eat the chocolate, and he also tells Ema to look forward to White Day.

**[ Masaomi's Feelings ]**

On the night of March 1, Ema plays a game with Subaru and Yusuke in the living room. Subaru and Ema work together to defeat the enemies, and they ask Yusuke to either stay in the back or pick up the loot.. since he's weak and keeps on dying. While Ema and Subaru praise each other's gaming skill, Yusuke looks like he's about to cry beside them. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Poor guy. Just then Masaomi returns home, and he watches them in silence until Ema finally notices his presence. She invites him to join them, but he replies that he doesn't understand games and returns to his room instead. He says he's tired, and he certainly doesn't look happy about the scenery in front of him. Ema notices that Masaomi won't look her in the eye, and thinking that she might have done something to make him angry, she decides to visit his room. She's afraid that he's really angry though, so she ends up standing in front of his room until Wataru comes and asks what she's doing.

Wataru says he wants to ask Masaomi about his homework, but since Masaomi said he's tired earlier, Ema asks Wataru to let him rest for now. She'll help with his homework instead. At first Wataru is happy, but then he notices that Ema looks sad too. In order to cheer her up, he gives her Usa-tan #0 and asks her to hug it. Then finally, Wataru mentions the hint Ema didn't pick up back on Christmas Eve. Whenever he feels down or sick, he can always find sweets stuffed on Usa-tan's back. Wataru then tells Ema to examine the pocket on the bunny's back, and she really finds a candy there. He gives the candy to her, and he asks her to get some rest — he'll ask Ukyou or Kaname to help with his homework. Upon returning to her room, Ema examines the pocket on Usa-tan #3′s back.. and she finds a necklace with a pink heart pendant hidden inside. Juli panics when Ema suddenly starts crying, but she actually feels happy because the necklace means Masaomi doesn't see her like a kid. It's the real Christmas present delivered by Usa-tan, and the pink heart pendant shows how he feels towards her. The present is three months late, but it makes Ema realize that she's actually in love with Masaomi.

The next morning, Ema cheerfully greets Masaomi when he comes into the living room. He's really surprised to see her wearing the necklace, but he stops himself from saying anything and only smiles at her. As Ema prepares his breakfast, Masaomi tells her that she's so kind towards everyone.. but sometimes he keeps thinking that she will have more fun by spending time with those who are around her age. Masaomi feels happy around Ema despite their age gap, but he's worried that she might not enjoy her time with him. Masaomi then admits that he was jealous upon seeing Ema playing with Subaru and Yusuke last night, and he wonders if their interests are similar because they're around the same age. Ema is extremely relieved to hear that it's not because Masaomi hates her, and this surprises him because he can never hate her. He then apologizes for making her worry, but he wants her to know that she's his sister, his family, and also an important person to him. In return, Ema answers that Masaomi is important to her too. She loves being with him, and she wants to stay with him forever. When Masaomi happily thanks her, Ema can feel something warm in her heart.

**[ White Day ]**

On White Day, Masaomi gives Ema a pack of macarons from a very famous shop in Ginza. He learned about the shop from the internet, and he went to buy the macarons for her despite the crowd and his busy schedule. Masaomi doesn't know what presents will make girls happy, so he's worried that Ema might not like the present.. but of course she's really happy to receive it. (๑´ლ`๑) Then he adds that the macarons were delicious. He was tempted to try them as he chose a present for her, so he bought another pack for himself. Apparently macarons weren't enough for him, and he ended up purchasing every single baked sweets in the shop LOL. The next time he visits the shop again, he's planning to buy their cakes — a milfeuille and a gâteau de forêt noire. He's also considering getting a winter limited edition apple compote, or maybe a classic shortcake or cream puffs. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Ema wonders how many times is he planning to visit the shop, and Masaomi says the shop's sweets are all good so far.. but they won't be able to beat her handmade chocolate. It's the most delicious one for him.

**[ Wataru's Injury ]**

On the night of April 15, Ema is preparing dinner with Ukyou as usual. Just then Wataru comes saying he wants to help too, since he needs to help with household chores and write a report for his homework. Ukyou and Ema are done cooking the food, so Wataru then climbs a chair to get a plate from the top shelf. Ema is worried since it doesn't seem like he can reach the plate, but Wataru assures her that he will be alright.. or not. The moment he takes the plate, he loses balance and falls from the chair — breaking the plate and cutting his arm on the fragments. He doesn't cry though, and he even endures the pain just to tell Ema that he's fine. Unfortunately, the bleeding is severe. Ukyou immediately goes to call an ambulance, while Ema asks Wataru to hang on until Masaomi comes. Wataru is reluctant knowing Masaomi hates blood, but it's too late. Masaomi actually heard the loud crashing sound from outside, and he walks into the living room to see what happened. Ema panics and asks Masaomi to save Wataru, but the moment he sees the blood and the wound, he collapses on the spot.

Azusa enters the kitchen not too long after that, and upon seeing what happened to Wataru, he asks Masaomi to help them treating Wataru's wound. However, Masaomi is still too shaken to give them instructions. He remains silent until Ema eventually slaps him, telling him that he's the only one who can help Wataru right now. She doesn't want Wataru to suffer any further, so he needs to get ahold of himself. Realizing that Ema is right, Masaomi apologizes to Wataru and snaps back to his senses. He asks Azusa to get some bandages and gauzes, as well as a cold towel to wipe off Wataru's sweat. Next, he helps Wataru to lie down on the couch and stops the bleeding until the ambulance comes. The ambulance staff informs Ukyou that Wataru will be safe thanks to Masaomi's proper first aid treatment, and they ask Masaomi to get some rest for tonight since he doesn't look well. Ukyou will accompany Wataru to the hospital, so he doesn't have to worry. At first Masaomi insists that he's fine, but then he starts feeling dizzy.. and he faints right in front of them. In the end Masaomi gets carried to the hospital as well, and Ema accompanies them along with Ukyou.

Later on, Masaomi wakes up to find Ema sitting by his bedside. When she explains that he's in the hospital, he lets out a sad laugh saying he's really pathetic.. but she quickly replies that he has saved Wataru. He's not by any means pathetic. Masaomi says that it was indeed him who treated the wound, but the one who saved Wataru is actually Ema. If she didn't bring him back to his senses, he wouldn't be able to do anything. Masaomi then thanks Ema, saying she's the one who always moves his heart. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* After this incident, he also realized that he needs to get over his fear of blood instead of accepting it. Masaomi became a doctor in order to help his family, but everything would be meaningless if something like this happens again in the future. He's going to overcome that fear from now on, and he asks Ema to watch over him — because he wants to change beside her.

**Ema:** "Masaomi-san… Are you okay with someone like me?"  
**Masaomi:** "I can't think of anyone but you."  
**Ema:** "Yes. I will watch over you… always."  
**Masaomi:** "Please take care of me."

Ema laughs saying Masaomi will be able to treat her whenever she gets hurt, but he says that he doesn't want that to happen. He won't let her get hurt, and he will always protect her from now on. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Ema turns red since she didn't expect to hear those words from Masaomi, but she admits that it makes her happy. Just then Wataru comes to Masaomi's room along with Ukyou, and he's more worried about Masaomi than his own injury. He assures them that he's completely fine, and he can go home now that his wound has been stitched up. Masaomi, on the other hand, has to stay in the hospital until the infusion is over, so Ukyou asks Ema to stay with his "faint-hearted" older brother until then. Masaomi goes (´・ω・`) upon hearing this, but he cheers up again when Wataru thanks him for treating the wound — saying he's really glad to have a big brother like him. Ema notices that Wataru's words only strengthened Masaomi's decision, and her decision to stay with him is just as firm.

**[ Important Person ]**

On October 30, Ema cooks dinner while waiting for Masaomi to come home. He's been really busy with work recently, and she's worried since he keeps returning at late hours. Masaomi soon returns home and is surprised to find Ema still awake, but he's grateful that she cooked dinner and waited for him. (๑´ლ`๑) After eating the food, Masaomi says Ema will become a good wife since she's such a great cook, and her cooking gives him the energy to work hard tomorrow. Ema then asks if Masaomi is okay since he's been so busy lately, and even though he says yes, she can tell that he's forcing himself to look fine in front of her. She tells him that his patients will be troubled if he collapses, and she gets really worried to see him forcing a smile. He chuckles saying he got scolded again, and then he holds her hands saying there's another reason why he keeps returning home so late at night. It's true that he's busy at work, but it's also because he's been observing surgeries in the ER after work. He can learn a lot of things from there, and it's the best way for him to get used to blood.

Masaomi then says he wants to change, as he wants to become a man who's worthy of Ema. If he doesn't look too well recently, it's not because he's exhausted. It's because he feels sick after seeing so much blood. Masaomi apologizes for making Ema worry, but he feels happy to receive her concern. Masaomi then reminds Ema that he said she's his sister, family and also an important person to him before.. but now he asks if he can take those words back. Noticing that Ema looks worried and confused, Masaomi quickly says he doesn't mean it that way. The fact that she's important to him will never change, but he doesn't want her to stay with him as a sister. He wants her to stay with him as his lover. ﾟ+.ｏ(*萌´д`从´д`萌*)ｏ.+ﾟ Masaomi asks if Ema still remembers the matchmaking Miwa arranged for him, and he explains that he turned down the marriage because he doesn't want to leave the mansion. He wouldn't be able to take care of his brothers if he moves out, and most importantly, he didn't want to be apart from her. Back then Masaomi hadn't thought about becoming lovers with Ema, but he knew he's in love with her.

When Ema answers that she wants to be Masaomi's lover too, he lets out a relieved laugh and admits that he's feeling so ﾄﾞｷ(*´・ω・`*)ﾄﾞｷ inside. Ema says she feels the same, but Masaomi doesn't believe it since she looks so calm, so he hugs her to make sure that her heart is racing too. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) After telling Ema that he loves her, Masaomi leans in for a kiss.. but they end up bumping their foreheads against each other. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Ema bursts into laughter, and Masaomi blushes saying he's enduring both pain and embarrassment. ｡ﾟ(ﾟﾉ∀｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡ｱﾋｬﾋｬ Ema then calls Masaomi's name, and she tells him that she loves him too.

**[ Wedding ]**

A few years later, the Asahina brothers are attending Masaomi and Ema's wedding. Tsubaki is grumbling in the hotel lobby, Hikaru tells him to accept the fact already, while Yusuke roams around with tears in his eyes. ｱﾋｬﾋｬ｡ﾟ(ﾟﾉ∀｀｡ﾟ(ﾟﾉ∀ヽﾟ)ﾟ｡´∀ヽﾟ)ﾟ｡ﾋｬﾋｬ Kaname thinks Ema is still too young and needs to look at more men around the world, but Tsubaki says she's smart for getting married before getting tricked by womanizers like Kaname LOL. When Azusa says they're going to become uncles in the near future, this conversation happens:

**Wataru:** "…? Uncle? What does that mean?"  
**Natsume:** "You don't have to know that yet, Wataru."  
**Wataru:** "Oh no, Nakkun. I understand the meaning too."  
**Natsume:** "A-Ah…? Oh right, you're in junior high school now."  
**Wataru:** "Yeah. I just thought that instead of becoming an uncle, I'd rather be a father!"  
**Natsume:** "I see, so you wanna be a father not an uncle."  
**Natsume:** "… wait what, Wataru."  
**Ukyou:** "What are you doing. The ceremony will begin soon. Get inside."  
**Wataru:** "Yeees!"  
**Natsume:** "Wataru! Wait, what are you saying…"  
**Ukyou:** "Be quiet, Natsume."

As Wataru does his duty as the ring boy, Tsubaki keeps grumbling because Ema looks really beautiful today. He also asks if Subaru shares his opinion, but Fuuto stops him since Subaru looks like he's about to cry.. and he might kidnap the bride if they keep teasing him. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Kaname is sincerely wishing for Ema and Masaomi's happiness, though he also feels that he let go of a great woman. In front of the altar, Masaomi tells Ema that he's happy to share this joyous day with her. He might not be reliable and might cause her to worry, but he promises to make her happy with his everything — vowing that she will be the only one he loves for the rest of his life. Masaomi asks Ema to always stay with him from now on, and after she says yes, they seal the vow with a kiss.

**[ A New Family ]**

One day, Tsubaki announces a big news for everyone. Or as he puts it, "everyone who was aiming for Ema" LOL. Azusa asks why he looks so depressed, and Tsubaki informs them that Ema is now pregnant with Masaomi's child. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Yusuke instantly screams and runs off, while Azusa punches Tsubaki before he can finish saying "I can't forgive how Masa-nii, who always looks like he's spacing out, did _that_ when the time co–" ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ They don't know the baby's gender yet, but Rui and Tsubaki are wishing for a girl. Even though they clearly have different reasons. Rui only wants to arrange her hair, but Tsubaki is hoping for a possible romance between him and Ema's daughter. ｡ﾟ(ﾟﾉ∀｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡ｱﾋｬﾋｬ Azusa tells him to seal that delusion in his mind though. Ema and them are safe since they're not related by blood, but a romance with their niece — who has Masaomi's blood — is out of the question. xD At the same time, Yusuke is mumbling about how he thought he still has a chance even after Ema got married.. but now she's going to be a mother. ＼(^o^)／ Rui then asks about where the happy couple is, and Azusa answers they're probably at their own house.

Meanwhile, Masaomi is trying to sense the baby's movements in Ema's stomach. She's only in her third month of pregnancy though, so she tells him they won't be able to sense anything yet at this stage. Ema was really surprised when she found out that she's pregnant, but she feels happy upon seeing how excited Masaomi is. He wonders if it's going to be a boy or a girl, and he asks what name they're going to give for the baby. He also wants to make Usa-tan #4 for their baby, and he's already thinking about what color he should use. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Ema says she never thought this day would come for her, and when Masaomi asks if it's too early, she says no because she feels really happy. Their baby will be the her first blood-related family member too, and he tells her that giving birth is a great thing. Their lives might not be not eternal, but as long as their child is alive, the proof of their love will remain eternal. Their child will eventually marry and give birth to a new generation, so her blood-related family will keep growing larger.

Ema can't hold back her happy tears when Masaomi thanks her for carrying their baby, but he will keep expressing his gratitude to her. When Ema thanks him in return, Masaomi smiles and says they will be happy together — with everyone in their family.


	6. Chapter 6 Yusuke

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Yusuke

Yusuke is the 11th son of the Asahina family. He's 16, and is a second year student in Hinode High School. He's also Ema's classmate at school, so he was really shocked when she moved in to live with them. Even though he looks and behaves like a wild yankee, Yusuke has a really strong sense of justice. He hates everything twisted, often getting into a fight with delinquents to defend what's right. His grades are as red as his hair, but he's athletic and good in sports.

**[ Crowded Train ]**

In June, Ema already got used to her new life in Sunrise Residence. After breakfast on June 4, Kaname asks how she's doing recently. He's afraid the sudden change of environment might cause her to feel exhausted, but she actually enjoys living with them. The only problem is that she has commute to school by train now, and the morning rush is a bit hard for her to endure. Kaname says it should be Yusuke's role to protect Ema in the train since they're heading to the same school, but it turns out both of the have been going to school separately. Or rather, they do it on purpose because Yusuke wants to keep their relationship hidden at school. He claims that he leaves the house early because he's "busy", but of course everyone knows he's just embarrassed to walk to school with Ema. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Feeling sorry for Ema, everyone asks Yusuke to walk to school with her. Tsubaki also says Yusuke fails as a man if he lets Ema get squeezed alone in the train, so eventually he agrees to go to school together. He stresses that it's just for today though, and he tells her not to call his name after leaving the mansion.

During the train ride to school, Ema gets trapped among the morning rush crowd as usual. She stumbles when the train rocks along the way, but Yusuke manages to catch her and asks her to hold onto him — protecting her from the crowd. Since the train is packed with people, they end up standing really close to each other. When Ema looks up and finds Yusuke's face right in front of her eyes, he blushes and looks away. (๑´ლ`๑) She thanks him when they arrive at school, but being a shy ツンデレ that he is, he says it's just a coincidence and tells her not to call his name. They soon meet Mahoko, Ema's best friend, by the school gate, and she asks if they have started dating since they walked to school together. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Yusuke blushes and runs off to class, while Ema asks Mahoko not to tease them since she does know about their relationship. Ema thinks it would be nice if she can walk to school with Yusuke again, and she goes to follow him to class.

**[ Lunchbox ]**

On July 1, Ema makes a lunchbox for Yusuke. She goes over to hand it to him on lunch break, and since she keeps calling his name, he asks if she's really trying to fix that habit. When Ema  
gives him the lunchbox, Yusuke turns red on the spot — just as Mahoko had predicted. Since Yusuke always buys his lunch from the school store, Ema wanted to him to eat nutritious food as well. However, he asks if she's stupid for handing the lunchbox in the classroom out of all places. Just then Sasakura — a classmate who clearly has a crush on Ema — comes to see  
what's going on, mentioning that Ema and Yusuke have been getting along really well recently. He wonders if they're dating, but since they deny it, he drops the subject and asks about the lunchboxes in Ema's hands instead. Noticing that she has two of them, he asks if she made it for someone. Before she could think up of an excuse, Sasakura suddenly asks if he can eat it. Of course Ema is troubled since she made it for Yusuke, and eventually he drags her out of the classroom — leaving Sasakura confused.

Yusuke then brings Ema to the school roof, when he gathers enough courage to say he'll eat her lunchbox. Knowing that Sasakura will be suspicious if she returns now, Ema tells Yusuke that they should eat lunch together on the roof. She's worried that he doesn't like the lunchbox since he eats in complete silence, but since he keeps saying it's not true, she asks which part of the lunchbox does he like the most. He quietly answers the fried eggs are delicious, which she actually made with Ukyou's help. (* ﾟ∀ﾟ)ｱﾊﾊ八八ﾉヽﾉヽﾉヽﾉ ＼ / ＼/ ＼ He panics saying the other side dishes are good too, and she laughs upon seeing his desperate attempt to make her feel better. Ema thanks Yusuke for eating her lunchbox, wishing they can eat lunch together again when the weather is nice.

**[ At the Beach ]**

For summer vacation, everyone goes on a family trip to Miwa's private island.

On August 13, the third day of the trip, Ema takes a relaxing stroll along the beach. Despite Juli warning her that it's dangerous, she takes off her sandals and accidentally cuts her foot on a seashell. From afar, Yusuke notices Ema crouching on the shore. He soon comes to see what happened to her, and he's shocked to see her foot bleeding. Ema tries to explain that it's only a small cut, but Yusuke doesn't listen and carries her on his back. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* She also asks him to put her down, but he refuses saying he'll take her to see Masaomi. They run into Azusa and Tsubaki along the way, and Yusuke — still in panic mode — asks them to save Ema. He's really afraid that she wouldn't be able to walk anymore, so she quickly says it's okay because she only stepped on a seashell. Upon hearing this, Yusuke instantly goes Σ(ﾟдﾟﾉ)ﾉ saying she should have told him sooner. Well.. she did try to tell him, but he thought she was just trying to be strong.

Tsubaki also teases Yusuke further by pointing out that he carried Ema on his back with both of them only wearing swimsuits, though it doesn't seem like he had enough composure to feel her chest pressing against his back. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Yusuke nervously says it's all Ema's fault for not telling him sooner, and then he flees out of embarrassment. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ She chases him all the way back to the beach, where she thanks him for worrying about her. He blushes and asks if her foot is really okay, telling her to clean the wound with disinfectant later. This makes Ema realize that while Yusuke is rather awkward when it comes to expressing feelings, he's actually a kind person inside.

**[ Culture Festival Preparations ]**

Ema and Yusuke's class is going to open a cosplay cafe for the upcoming culture festival, and so everyone's busy with the preparations. On October 1, they stay back after school in order to finish all the remaining work. In the evening, Mahoko goes to buy supplies while Ema works on the cafe's signboard. Mahoko is going home directly after shopping, so she asks Yusuke to stay with Ema. It's already late, and they're going back to the same mansion anyway. At first Yusuke panics since he's going to work with Ema, but when she reveals that it was her who requested for his help, he blushes and mutters "you chose me.." (❤ฺ￫艸￩) She feels bad that he has to stay behind with her, but he doesn't mind since it actually makes him happy.

By the time they're done with the signboard, it's already dark outside. Yusuke notices that their classmates have left too, and since it's eerily quiet.. Ema wonders if they're the only ones left at school. Yusuke then goes to check the staff room, but soon he returns saying the teachers already went home. Plus, the school gate is locked. They can only wait for someone to realize that they're gone, and Ema mentions that in the worst case scenario, they might have to spend the night at school. Yusuke instantly goes "t-t-there's no way the two of us are going to sleep at school! Σ(〃д〃)", and the thought of spending the night together causes strange thoughts to appear in Ema's head as well. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ However, Ema soon remembers that Mahoko is a culture festival committee member. She might be able to contact a teacher, so Ema mails her while Yusuke goes to check if there are other exits aside from the school gate. Sadly he can't find anything, and Mahoko doesn't reply either.

When Ema starts sneezing beside him, Yusuke takes off his uniform and tells her to wear it so she won't catch a cold. He says it's a man's duty to protect a woman, but she refuses saying she's worried about him too. Yusuke whispers that Ema is surprisingly stubborn, and he holds her hands instead. Then he stutters saying it's not like he wants to hold hands, but he doesn't know how any other way to keep her warm. (๑´ლ`๑) Not too long after that, Mahoko sends a reply and calls the teachers to open the school gate for them. Yusuke keeps holding Ema's hands until they arrive, but she ends up catching a cold the next day. When he learns that she has a fever, he says that's exactly why he told her to wear his uniform yesterday. Ema says she'll go to school since they still have a lot of preparations to do, but Yusuke tells her to stay at home and get some sleep — he'll do everything in her place. If she shows up at school with a fever, he's going to kick her butt. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Ukyou scolds him for using such words against a girl, but Ema thanks Yusuke and promises to recover quickly.

**[ Culture Festival Day ]**

Hinode High School's culture festival takes place on October 23, and Ema is busy helping out in her class's cafe. Mahoko makes all the waitresses wear bunny outfits to attract people, and Yusuke is gaping like a goldfish upon seeing Ema as a bunny. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ Their cafe is really popular thanks to the bunny outfits, but Ema has to delay her break since they have so many customers. After a while, Yusuke comes saying he'll replace her for a while so she can have lunch. She feels bad since he's on break, but he tells her not to worry — he'll only replace her for 10 minutes. Σ(・д・ﾉ)ﾉ Yusuke keeps helping Ema in the cafe even after lunch, and she can finally have her break thanks to him. By the end of the day, their class wins the highest award due to the cafe's high popularity. On the way home, Ema thanks Yusuke for helping her today. She really enjoyed this year's culture festival thanks to him, and he blushes saying he enjoyed his time with her too.

**[ Waking Up ]**

On October 25, Ukyou asks Ema to wake Yusuke up before breakfast. He tends to oversleep if no one wakes him up, and recently he has no time to eat breakfast because of this. Yusuke won't wake up no matter how many times Ema calls him, so she has to follow Ukyou's advice by pulling his blanket. Or at least that's what she was planning to do. The moment she comes to his bedside, Yusuke suddenly pulls Ema into his arms. She obviously resists and tells him to let go, but thinking he's hugging Wataru, he doesn't open his eyes and asks her to let him sleep for a little longer. When Ema tells him that it's her and not Wataru, Yusuke thinks he's seeing a dream.. and mutters that he won't let go of her. ｲﾔﾝ (*´∀`)σ)))))*3ﾟ),･´. Ema can't help but to ponder about the meaning behind those words, but knowing she had to do something, she slaps Yusuke with all her might. ｲｴ━━ヽ( ´д`)ﾉ━━ｲ! ..which finally wakes him up.

he first thing Yusuke says is "h-h-how did you get in!?", and Ema answers that she used a spare key from Ukyou. He's completely lost as of why she slapped him across the face, and he completely flips out when she explains what just happened earlier. He apologizes saying he thought it was just a dream, but she tells him it's okay. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Ema then changes the subject by reminding Yusuke about the time, since he's going to be late to school if he doesn't get out of bed. Before she goes back to the living room, he thanks her for waking him up.. and then this happens:

**Ema:** "Um.. Yusuke-kun..?"  
**Yusuke:** "Hm? Is there anything else?"  
**Ema:** "Before going to the living room.. please wear your pants."  
**Yusuke:** "Huh? _*looks down*_ Arghhhhhh!"

**[ Truth ]**

A week after Rintarou and Miwa's wedding, on November 13, Ema goes to her old apartment. They asked her to help organizing their wedding photos, but she ends up finding a book which states that she's actually adopted. Before Rintarou could explain anything, Ema runs out of the apartment and cries in the park until night falls. The one who eventually finds her is Yusuke.

When Yusuke asks Ema to go home with him, she refuses and falls into silence. He also tells her that everyone — their brothers and Rintarou — is worried about her, but she still refuses to go home. Ema admits that she's afraid to hear the truth from Rintarou, and even though she actually wants to thank Yusuke for worrying about her.. she ends up saying that he won't be able to understand how she feels. Miwa is his real mother and he has a lot of brothers, while she doesn't have a real family. Upon hearing this, Yusuke angrily says it's true that he doesn't fully understand Ema's feelings. However, he does think of her as a family. The same goes for Rintarou, Miwa and everyone else. They're a family, so Yusuke doesn't want Ema to say such a sad thing. Realizing that Yusuke is right, Ema apologizes for what she said. She got scared and jumped to conclusions, but she realizes that she's not alone. Yusuke then asks Ema to go home, and she finally agrees. Ema asks if he was worried about her too, and Yusuke replies with "Isn't that obvious!? I'm the one who's most concerned about you!" (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Then he holds her hand, helps her stand up, and takes her home.

**[ The Important Thing ]**

After learning everything from Rintarou, Ema goes to see Yusuke in his room. She thanks him for earlier, but he only gives her a short, cold "okay" and turns silent. However, Ema realizes that Yusuke actually isn't being cold. He's just embarrassed. xD Yusuke immediately denies it, but then he admits he's glad that Ema and Rintarou have resolved their issue. Ema then says she feels really happy with Yusuke's concern, especially since he was "the one who's most concerned" about her. This causes Yusuke to go ｱ━━ Σ (〃Д〃) ━━ｯ! while Ema laughs beside him, thanking him for giving her the strength to stand back up.

**[ Supplementary Lesson ]**

On November 15, Ema invites Yusuke to walk home together. Sadly Yusuke got a red mark on his maths test, so he has to do an extra assignment after school. Despite his wild exterior and his constant red marks, he actually takes school seriously — not even thinking of skipping the supplementary lesson. Instead of going home, Ema then decides to stay back and help Yusuke with the assignment. Since he keeps saying it's not necessary, she tells him she's only here to study on her own. Now he can't force her to go home. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ After a while, Yusuke is stuck at a question about numerical sequence. He doesn't remember the formula at all, so Ema patiently teaches him how to solve the question. She's happy to see him solving the question on his own, while he blushes and thanks her for explaining the formula. She also promises to cook his favorite food for dinner if he can finish the assignment, which instantly fires him up.

Just then Sasakura enters the classroom, and upon seeing them studying together, he asks if they're dating. He also heard them talking about dinner earlier, and it obviously makes him even more suspicious. Yusuke quickly denies it saying there's no way he'd date Ema, and she also makes it really clear to Sasakura that they're not dating. Ema is aware that Yusuke and her are a family, but recently the word "siblings" starts to feel painful for her.

**[ Supplementary Exam Day ]**

On December 24, Hinode High School holds the closing ceremony before the year-end holiday. Yusuke has to take a supplementary exam today, and Ema waits by the school gate until he's done. Mahoko notices that Ema has been helping Yusuke with his studies lately, and she tells Ema to do her best — because today is Christmas Eve. (๑´ლ`๑) Yusuke comes not too long after that, revealing that he did really well on the supplementary exam. He then asks if she's waiting for him, and when she says yes, he replies that she's really stupid. Ema wonders if she's just troubling him, but Yusuke points out that her hands are red because she's waiting outside in the cold. He's not angry at her. He's just worried that she might catch a cold again. Ema apologizes saying she was only curious about the supplementary exam, and she's glad to hear that Yusuke did well. Just before Ema leaves, Yusuke stops her saying he'll treat her to eat something. She helped him with his studies, and he wants to return the favor.

When Yusuke asks where she wants to go, Ema mentions a cute parfait she's been wanting to eat. ヾ(◕‿◕✿) He blushes and stutters upon hearing this, and he holds her hand as they walk towards the cafe — telling her not to look at him. Obviously because he has turned into several shades of red. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ Since it's Christmas Eve, the cafe is full of couples today. The waitress soon brings a couple's parfait for them, telling them to enjoy the parfait together. While Ema happily notes about how delicious it looks, Yusuke goes "c-c-couple!? Σ(〃Д〃)" and blushes in silence. Ema then thanks Yusuke for the wonderful Christmas present, and he tries to (unsuccessfully) hide his embarrassment by saying he returned the favor now. They share the parfait and walk home together after that.

**[ New Year's ]**

On New Year's Day, everyone goes to pray at the shrine together. Ema reminds Yusuke that they're going to become third-years soon, and she asks if he has decided on which university to enter. He's about to say that he wants to enter the same university as her, but he stops and asks about her wish to the shrine instead. Ema is wishing for her grades to improve, and she asks Yusuke to buy academic charms together after praying. This reminds her that he always keeps around a "safe delivery" charm, and she wonders why he has such an unusual charm. It turns out Miwa had a difficult delivery when giving birth to Yusuke, even though she never had any problems with her older sons. His father was really worried because of this, and so he bought the charm for her. After Yusuke was born, Miwa gave the charm to him saying he was born safely thanks to the charm, and she believes the charm will continue protecting him in the future. Yusuke says he feels calm just by keeping the charm, and somehow he can feel that his father is watching over him from heaven. He thinks everyone will find it ridiculous for him to believe in such a thing at this age, but Ema doesn't think so — she believes the charm is really protecting him.

After buying the charms, Ema and Yusuke notice their classmates standing nearby. They will definitely get the wrong ideas, so Yusuke grabs Ema's hand and takes her back to everyone's place before anyone sees them. However, they got caught by Kaname and Tsubaki instead — who clearly see them holding hands. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Yusuke immediately lets go of Ema's hand, but Kaname keeps teasing him by saying he has turned into a man. (ﾟ∀＾d)ｸﾞｯ Beside them, Ema laughs saying this year seems to be a good year.. and she's hoping that she can smile beside Yusuke too next year.

**[ Confession ]**

On January 12, Ema relays a message from Ukyou to Yusuke at school. She notices that their classmates suddenly start whispering, but she decides not to think about it. Before Ema goes home, Sasakura asks if he can talk to her in private. Everyone in the classroom quietly sneak out to give him the chance, and Sasakura confesses that he's been in love with Ema since the opening ceremony last year. He asks her to go out with him, but she apologizes and turns him down. Sasakura then asks for the reason, and Ema honestly admits that it's because she has someone she likes. Yusuke appears in her mind for a brief moment, and this makes her realize that she might be in love with him. On the other hand, Sasakura also takes the rejection as a confirmation that Ema is really dating Yusuke. He reveals that rumors about them have been floating around the school, and soon they also hear a sound from the classroom door.. which means some people were eavesdropping earlier.

In order to clear the misunderstanding, Ema decides to tell Sasakura the truth — revealing that Yusuke and her are now a family. Knowing it must be Yusuke who wants to keep it hidden, Sasakura promises to keep this a secret. He also says he's not giving up on Ema yet, but for now he's satisfied just by staying friends with her. Sadly while Ema is glad that things doesn't become awkward between Sasakura and her, she can't do anything to stop the rumors from spreading. Because of this, Yusuke soon starts avoiding her at school.

**[ Treating Injuries ]**

For the next three weeks, Yusuke keeps avoiding Ema at school. On February 1, Mahoko asks Ema and Yusuke to move to the audiovisual room for their next class. At first Yusuke agrees, but the moment Ema joins them, he suddenly tells them to go ahead of him. When Ema tries to talk to him, Yusuke immediately flees and leaves them behind. Ema obviously notices that he's avoiding her, and she sadly wonders if Yusuke hates her now. After school, Sasakura finds Ema crying alone in the classroom. Just by looking at them, Sasakura can tell that Yusuke has been avoiding Ema because of the rumors. Ema thinks Yusuke is angry because she caused such a huge misunderstanding, but Sasakura says she's probably wrong. He thinks Yusuke is actually trying to protect Ema, and he's avoiding her so people won't spread rumors about her anymore. Sasakura feels bad knowing his suspicion also caused the rumors to float around, and even though Ema rejected him, he's still wishing for her happiness. He jokingly asks if she wants to switch to him, but he stops her from replying — knowing she'll reject him again.

Just then Yusuke suddenly enters the classroom. Upon seeing Ema in tears, he angrily asks if Sasakura did anything to her. Yusuke doesn't believe that they were just talking, so Sasakura admits that he actually confessed to her. Sasakura also says he's free to do so since Yusuke and Ema aren't dating, and he challenges Yusuke to punch him if he wants to — because he also wants to give Yusuke a good punch. Despite Ema's attempt to stop them, both Sasakura and Yusuke end up punching each other in the face. It quickly escalates into a fight, but luckily none of them got any serious injuries. Ema takes Yusuke to the infirmary after that, where she compresses his swollen cheek in silence. When he asks if she's angry, she sharply answers that she does. If anything happens, the school might call Miwa or even give him a suspension. Yusuke apologizes for causing such a commotion, but he doesn't get why Sasakura stopped after punching him once.. and Ema answers it's because Sasakura is mature enough. Unlike a certain someone. She also asks him to apologize to Sasakura tomorrow, and she wants him to stop fighting as well. After all, she wouldn't know what to do if anything happens to him.

**Yusuke:** "Alright. So don't cry anymore."  
**Ema:** "Really? Will you promise?"  
**Yusuke:** "Yeah, I promise that I won't make you sad anymore."  
**Yusuke:** "…and sorry for avoiding you."  
**Ema:** "Okay. I don't mind the rumors, but I don't want to be ignored by you."  
**Yusuke:** "I won't do it again."

Yusuke pats Ema's head to make her stop crying, and they go home together after that. It'd be rather hard for him to eat dinner with his injured mouth, but that won't stop him from eating her cooking. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ The fight obviously caused the rumors to escalate even more, but Mahoko already cleared the misunderstanding for them. She also told everyone that Ema and Yusuke are step-siblings. At first Yusuke isn't happy about this, but Mahoko scolds him saying rumors appear because he hides such an important thing from people. Plus, she won't forgive Yusuke if he ever makes Ema sad again, and he says he understands. That night, Ema makes curry for dinner — Yusuke's favorite.

** Valentine's Day ]**

For Valentine's Day, Ema gives a handmade chocolate to Yusuke. When she hands it to him, he.. completely freezes in place. Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒(。A。)ｱﾋｬﾋｬﾋｬﾋｬ! He has to take deep breaths just to calm himself down, and he blushes as he thanks her for the chocolate. Then he goes back into his room without saying anything else, leaving her all confused

**[ White Day ]**

On White Day, Yusuke gives Ema a bottle of candies and her favorite character stationery set. He knows she's using a notebook with the same character at school, and she's really happy that he noticed. Yusuke then says Ema's "round chocolates" (truffles) were delicious, and he ate the "powdered one" (cocoa powder) first. He choked on the powder as soon as it entered his mouth, and it went all the way up to his nose.. so his nose also got a taste of her delicious chocolate. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Yusuke says he also likes the "crushed pink one" and "the one that looks like a "marimo", and Ema thanks him for the opinion — it's very him LOL. Yusuke asks Ema not to tell their brothers about this, and when she says it's their little secret, he turns red and nods.

**[ Junior ]**

When the new school year starts in April, Ema and Yusuke has new juniors around them. One of them is Fuuto, who decides to follow them to Hinode High School. Yusuke sighs saying it'll be troublesome to have him around, and he refuses when Ema says the three of them should go home together. He almost says he only wants to walk home with her, but then he blushes and stops himself. The new juniors remind them of their first year of high school, and Yusuke mentions that Ema had a different hairstyle back then. He says it used to be "オカッパ", though she asks him to call it "shoulder-length bob" instead. xD She wonders why he knows her old hairstyle since they were in different classes, but he quickly says it was just a coincidence.

Here, a blonde bitch suddenly appears and clings to Yusuke. He recognizes her as Minakami Natsuki, his junior back in junior high. Minakami says she came to Hinode High School in order to chase after Yusuke, and Ema is surprised to see him getting along normally with a girl. Just then Minakami notices Ema's presence, and the first greeting that comes out of her mouth is "the heck are you?" ＼(^o^)／ She's clearly not pleased at how Ema calls Yusuke by his first name, but Yusuke slaps her head and forces her to introduce herself properly. Minakami then forces Yusuke to show her around the school, and he smiles saying it can't be helped. After apologizing to Ema, Yusuke leaves with Minakami — who flashes her victory smile at Ema. Of course Ema is irritated, though she hasn't realized that she's actually jealous.

**[ Harassment ]**

The next day, April 12, Yusuke has to attend a career counseling after school. Ema asks if he wants her to wait until it's over, but since he doesn't know how long it's going to take, he tells her to go home first. Ema doesn't say anything because he doesn't want Yusuke to worry, but a certain someone has been pulling pranks on her all day. Her shoes are gone from her shoe locker, and soon Minakami comes to laugh at her. She says Ema must be hated so much that someone threw her shoes away, and she mentions that Ema's loafers were pretty — proving that she's the one who got rid of them. She doesn't admit it though, and she walks off to wait until Yusuke's counseling session is over. ┻━┻ ︵ ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) Since her shoes are gone, Ema has no choice but to change into her sports shoes.

Fortunately for Ema, Fuuto soon appears to see what she's doing. He asks why she looks so gloomy in front of the shoe locker, and she tells him that her shoes are gone. Fuuto then asks if she knows who's been pulling pranks on her, and when she says no, he tells her not to put up an act in front of him. Eventually she admits that it might be Minakami, whom he recognized as a girl who keeps sticking to "stupid Yusuke" like a glue. Fuuto wonders why Yusuke isn't doing anything to stop this, but Ema says Yusuke probably doesn't realize. She doesn't want to trouble him, so she asks Fuuto to keep it a secret — promising that she'll talk to Yusuke if it's getting out of hand. Fuuto tells Ema to contact him if anything happens, and when his manager comes to pick him up with a car, he takes her along for a ride home.

**[ Yusuke's Decision ]**

On April 30, Fuuto finds Ema sighing in the living room. She's been ignoring Minakami's pranks hoping it will stop eventually, but the bitch keeps harassing her at school everyday. Ema also finds it hard to tell Yusuke about this, though Fuuto says Yusuke's stupidity is the main reason that causes this harrassment. Just then Yusuke comes asking what they're talking about, and Fuuto says it's got nothing to do with a stupid an insensitive person like him. Yusuke obviously gets angry, but he's really surprised when Fuuto says he's hurting Ema without even realizing it. Knowing that Yusuke wouldn't notice until someone slaps him with the truth, Fuuto reveals that Minakami has been harassing Ema ever since they first met. Fuuto says it's up to Yusuke whether he wants to believe it or not, but if Yusuke can't protect Ema.. then Fuuto is going to take her. Fuuto then asks Ema to move to his room, but Yusuke stops them and tells Fuuto to let go. He knows she wouldn't lie, and he's really angry at himself for failing to realize what's going on. However, he doesn't have any intentions to hand her to Fuuto. He asks both of them to come to the roof tomorrow, because he's going to make things clear between them.

The next day, Yusuke calls Minakami to the roof. She grumbles about how Fuuto and Ema are disturbing them, but he only tells her to listen. Yusuke then mentions that someone has been harrassing Ema recently, and Fuuto immediately says it's definitely Minakami. She denies the accusation and asks Yusuke to believe in her, but Yusuke replies that he doesn't know who the culrpit is. Not that he cares either, because the most crucial issue is that he failed to notice what's going on. Yusuke is really disappointed in himself, and he realized that a man needs to protect the woman he loves — confessing that he's in love with Ema. He first saw her during the opening ceremony two years ago, and it was love at the first sight. They were in different classes on their first year, but passing her at school was enough to make him happy. He was surprised when they suddenly became a family, but he secretly thought it's a chance for him to approach her. His love for her grew stronger as they spend time together, and he always thought about protecting her smile.. but in the end he failed to do so. That's why from now on, he's going to stay with her and protect her from everything. If anyone dares to hurt her, he's going to punch that person. Even if it's a girl or his own brother.

Behind them, Fuuto laughs saying it's a good confession for a fool. He would never make Ema cry, but Yusuke promises that he won't make her cry anymore — it's the decision he reached. Yusuke then asks if Ema doesn't want to accept his decision, but she answers that she feels happy. When Ema says she won't be scared anymore with Yusuke by her side, he promises that he will come to save her when she's in a pinch. He's going to wipe her tears whenever she wants to cry. All she have to do is to stay beside him and smile.

**[ Propose ] **

A year after the confession, Ema and Yusuke go to check his university entrance exam result together. They took the exam to the same university, and he's been studying really hard to get accepted. Ema actually received a recommendation and passed the exam safely, and now it's up to Yusuke's to determine their university life. They don't have to worry though, because he passed and got accepted too. Ema happily congratulates Yusuke, and she starts crying out of relief. When she says they'll be together for the next four years, he replies that it's not only for four years — they will always be together forever. Now that he's passed the entrance exam, Yusuke says he's got something to say to Ema: "Please be my wife! I will make you happy for the rest of your life, and I will protect you forever! No matter how years will pass, I only want you to stay by my side." (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｷｬｰ He asks if it's strange to say something like this out of the blue, but she knows he's always serious about everything he says. Yusuke then asks for the answer, and Ema replies with: "No matter what will happen from now on, please never let me go.

**[ Postponed Date ]**

One day in university, Ema's fourth period class got cancelled. She meets Yusuke by the gate, and he invites her to go out and play since he's done with classes for today. She reminds him that the exams are approaching, and he complains saying they haven't got any time to go out recently. They're both busy with circles and part-time jobs, so they don't have much chance to go on a date.. though they're always together at home. (๑´ლ`๑) Since Yusuke looks like he's about to cry, Ema finally agrees to go on a date. The destination is his room. He blushes and asks if they're going to do "that", and she says he's right — they're going to study! ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Yusuke says she just destroyed the delusion of an adolescent man, but Ema replies that they will go on a date after the exams are over. Poor guy. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ It's been a while since the last time they go home together, and they hold hands along the way.

Back in the mansion, Yusuke gives up on studying and asks Ema to play a game instead. He's not worried about his grades since they're still first-years, so she tells him that he might have to repeat a year if he doesn't study properly. That means when she's taking internship, he will be busy fixing his grades; when she's writing her thesis, he might have to repeat his classes. In the end she might start working before he does, and then fall in love with a handsome boss in her office. He panics saying that's stupid, but he resumes his studies right away. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) When she teaches him to solve a question, Yusuke suddenly calls Ema and kisses her when she turns around. They're going to have a date when the exams are over, and they will also do the continuation of the kiss.


	7. Chapter 7 Subaru

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Subaru

Subaru is the 9th son of the Asahina family, 19 years old. He's a second year student in Meiji University, who has been dedicating his life to baskeball ever since he was small. Because of his stoic and upright personality, combined with the fact that he's absolutely not interested in anything other than sports, Subaru doesn't have any experience with women. He has no idea how to behave around Ema, and this often leads to an awkward situation between them.

**[ After Bath ]**

The shower in Ema's room is broken on June 4, and so she has to take a bath on the 5th floor before breakfast. No one is around when she enters the bathroom, so ignoring Juli's warning, she walks out to the living room only wrapped in a bath towel. Juli is afraid that someone might enter the living room, but instead of listening to him, Ema calmly goes to drink a bottle of milk in the kitchen. It's still so early in the morning, so everyone should still be asleep right? ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Not really. Just as Juli feared, Subaru suddenly walks into the living room — only wearing his underwear — and obviously goes Σ(〃д〃ﾉ)ﾉ! upon seeing Ema. He tells her to put on some clothes since she's a girl, nervously explaining that he's not wearing any clothes because he was going to take a bath after his morning run. He turns bright red as he stutters "S-Sweat is running.. No, I-I mean I'm going to wash the b-bath.. Um, ah.. So.." before completely freezing in place. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ Juli eventually breaks the awkward silence by yelling at Subaru, who's completely startled by the squirrel's sudden rage, and Ema uses this chance to run back to her room. Ema goes back to the living room after that, but Subaru is no longer there. She feels bad for causing such an awkward situation, and she wonders if she can behave as usual around him from now on.

**[ Practice Match ]**

On July 6, Yusuke invites Ema to watch Subaru's practice match together. From Yusuke, Ema learns that Subaru is the shooting guard of Meiji University's basketball team. Even though he's only a second-year student, he's a regular member and has a lot of fangirls cheering his name when the match starts. Ema notices that Subaru isn't exactly the tallest in court, but he doesn't lose to anyone and keeps scoring three points one after another.. which amazes her so much she squeals while hitting poor Yusuke. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Subaru's team ends up winning the practice match, and he notices Ema and Yusuke in the hallway after the match is over. Subaru is still nervous around Ema, but he loosen up a bit when Yusuke asks him to teach him how to master three point shot later. Before going home, Yusuke realizes that he left something in the stadium, so he asks Subaru to stay with Ema until he returns.

An awkward silence ensues right after Yusuke walks away. Knowing that Subaru will remain silent if she doesn't initiate a conversation, Ema tells him that his performance today was really cool. At first Subaru can only reply with "um.." or "yeah..", but he's really surprised when Ema mentions about how hard he trains everyday. She knows he never skips his morning run, and how he keeps running even on rainy days. Ema asks if there's something wrong since Subaru seems so surprised, but he only says it's nothing. Another heavy silence hangs between Ema and Subaru as none of them continues the conversation, but soon Yusuke comes back saying they're going home now. Despite the awkward atmosphere between them, Ema feels glad that she came to watch Subaru's match today. His performance in court was wonderful, and she wants to come and support him again someday.

**[ Sea Bathing ]**

For summer vacation, everyone goes on a family trip to Miwa's private island.

On August 13, the third day of the trip, Ema goes to swim at the beach and finds Subaru doing long-distance swimming by himself. He was shocked and turned red upon seeing her wearing a bikini yesterday, and he lent her his parker to cover herself with. She apologizes since she's still borrowing his parker today, but he says it's alright and tells her to keep wearing it instead.. which makes her realize that behind his blunt words, he's actually really kind. Since he's done with his long-distance swimming today, Subaru then asks if Ema wants to swim together near the shore. He tells her to be careful of sudden depth change, and he quickly flees — red in the face — when she's taking off the parker she's wearing. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Subaru already swims away from the shore when Ema walks into the water, so she rushes to chase after him even without bringing a float ring.

However, Ema accidentally steps on a sudden depth change. She panics and quickly runs out of breath underwater, but fortunately Subaru soon returns and saves her from drowning. He scolds her for not listening to his warning earlier, and he says it's impossible for them to swim together since it'd be dangerous to leave her alone. He won't be able to take his eyes off her. (๑´ლ`๑) Subaru doesn't realize that he's still hugging Ema either, until eventually she asks if she's not heavy. She also asks him to put her down, which obviously causes him to blush and go "W-Wah! S-Sorry! Σ(〃д〃)" and.. drops the poor girl back into the water. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Subaru takes Ema back to the shore after that, where he tells her that she's not heavy at all. In fact, he's worried if she's eating properly because she's so thin. He says he can carry about two people at her weight, though she thinks it's because he's strong and tones his body daily.  
After she thanks him for saving her, Subaru tells Ema to get some rest and goes back to swim again. Ema actually wants to swim together with Subaru, but she doesn't want to trouble him again, so in the end she only watches him from the beach.

**[ Apology ]**

On September 23, two days after Subaru's 20th birthday, everyone throws a party for him in the living room. Ukyou puts Ema in charge of making the birthday cake, and Subaru thanks her when she slices the cake for him — asking her not to look at him since he's blushing. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) The second part of the celebration is a drinking party for Kaname, Tsubaki, Azusa and Subaru while everyone else returns to their rooms. Late at night, Ema feels thirsty and goes up to get some water from the fifth floor. She thinks the drinking party is already over because the living room's light is turned off, but then she steps on something on the floor.. which turns out to be a drunk Subaru. Ema is about to get some water for him, but Subaru stops her and asks her to stay with him instead. Just then the headache causes Subaru to lose balance, and he falls on top of Ema as she tries to catch him. She asks if he's alright and can get up, but he refuses to let go of her. Instead, he asks why she went as far as making a birthday cake for him — even if it was Ukyou's request. Subaru then tries to confess to Ema and kisses her on the lips for a very brief moment, but he ends up falling asleep before finishing his sentence. Ema is trapped underneath Subaru because of this, until eventually Tsubaki, Azusa and Kaname come to pull him away from her.

The next day, the situation becomes really awkward between Ema and Subaru. He comes to apologize to her in the evening, but she replies that she's not angry. She was surprised, but it was an "accident" after all. He was drunk last night, and they only fell down when she tried to catch him — that's all. Subaru is surprised and clearly isn't pleased that Ema settled everything as an "accident", but then he says it's nothing and apologizes once again. When she answers that she never got angry to begin with, he only says it's good then because the "accident" has been bothering him. Subaru then returns to his room and Ema notices that he's behaving rather strangely, but she's glad there's no more bad feelings between them. Starting from tomorrow, they can behave normally around each other again.

**[ Culture Festival Day ]**

Hinode High School's culture festival takes place on October 23, and Ema is busy working as a bunny waitress in her class's cafe. At noon she receives a mail from Kaname informing that he's coming to school, and soon he shows up along with Ukyou and Subaru — who blushes and stutters as he praises her bunny costume. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Upon seeing the three of them, Mahoko quietly asks which one of them does Ema want to enjoy the culture festival with. Ema honestly admits that it's Subaru, so Mahoko helps creating a chance for them to be alone. She takes Kaname and Ukyou to watch Yusuke at work, but at the same time also asks Subaru to take Ema out for lunch. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Subaru then invites Ema to walk around the school together, and she asks about what kind of culture festival he had back in high school. Apparently it was nightmare for him, since the basketball club members were forced to do a breakdance. Ema is curious knowing he must be good in dancing, but Subaru doesn't want to go through such an embarrassing experience ever again. Ever since the culture festival, the girls got excited over him and the dance club even asked him to join in. Of course that means his dance is just THAT good, and Ema finds it cute that Subaru doesn't realize this.

**[ Truth ]**

A week after Rintarou and Miwa's wedding, on November 13, Ema goes to her old apartment. They asked her to help organizing their wedding photos, but she ends up finding a book which states that she's actually adopted. Before Rintarou could explain anything, Ema runs out of the apartment and cries in the park until night falls. The one who eventually finds her is Subaru.

Upon seeing Ema, Subaru immediately notices that she was crying. She tries to hold back her tears knowing it will only trouble him, but he tells her not to force herself. It will only feel even more painful if she holds back, so she should cry if she wants to. He doesn't mind. Then after she's done crying, they should go home together. Everyone has moments when they want to be alone, but as long as there are people who are waiting for them, they have to return home. Subaru then asks Ema not to say that she has none, because Rintarou and their brothers are all waiting for her at home. When Ema admits that she's too scared to hear what Rintarou has to say, Subaru asks what he can do to erase her worries. He's willing to do anything to make her feel better, and she eventually asks him to stay by her side. As the answer, Subaru then sits beside Ema and holds her hands until she calms down — saying that he will stay with her as long as she wants to. He gently asks her to go home together, and she finally agrees.

**[ The Important Thing ]**

After learning everything from Rintarou, Ema goes to see Subaru in his room. He's glad to hear that Rintarou and her already resolved their family issue, and he blushes when she thanks him for earlier. He made her realize that she has people who are waiting for her, and she's happy that he stayed with her until they returned to the mansion. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Ema wants to cook for Subaru as a sign of gratitude, but since he keeps saying that he didn't do anything much to help, she says she'll listen to his wish instead. Earlier he said he'll do anything to help her, and now she wants to do the same for him. Subaru asks if she's really sure, and he's about to ask for something when Ema says yes.. but then he blushes and cancels the wish. He refuses to tell her the reason too, because there's no way he can admit that he wants to hold hands with her again

**[ Shoot Practice ]**

Ever since she learned the truth from Rintarou, Ema has been going to the park whenever she needs time to think. On November 21, she takes a walk in the park because Subaru has been staying in her mind lately. Just then Subaru suddenly appears out of the blue, and Ema's heart nearly jumps out of her chest when he asks what she's doing in the park. He explains there's a ring nearby, and he came here to have a shoot practice. Subaru then walks away saying he will be home before dinner, but Ema stops him and asks if she can watch him practice instead. She can't stop thinking about him, and she wants to confirm the reason. Subaru takes Ema to the ring after that, and he comes to sit beside her after he's done practicing. She's impressed to see his high shoot accuracy, but he says today is just a coincidence. He mentions that he's not doing too well lately, but then he stops himself and asks her to forget it.

Subaru turns silent after that, so Ema changes the subject by asking why he started playing basketball. He says he loves sports ever since he was small, and he tried doing a lot of things with Natsume in the past — ranging from soccer to snowboard. After asking Ema not to laugh, Subaru admits that he chose basketball because of a manga which he read in Tsubaki's room. It's a famous basketball manga, and he was extremely touched upon reading it. Ema says she loves that manga too, and she was moved by the words of a shooting guard in the manga — who was also the reason why he became a shooting guard. When Subaru laughs saying he really loves that manga, Ema suddenly goes ﾟ.+:｡((((o・ω・)o))) ﾟ.+:｡ﾄﾞｷﾄﾞｷ since it's the first time he ever laughs freely in front of her. Subaru also admits that he actually wants to grow a little bit taller, and he laughs again when Ema says she will help by providing milk and a lot of nutritious food for him. He smiles as he thanks her, and she's starting to realize what her heart is trying to tell her.

**[ DVD Festival ]**

On December 24, Ema is busy helping Ukyou with preparations for their Christmas party. After they're done, Tsubaki invites — or rather, forces — Ema to watch DVDs with them. Tonight is Christmas Eve, so they're going to celebrate it with a DVD festival. .｡ﾟ+.ヽ(*´∀`*)ﾉﾟ+.ﾟ。. Since both Kaname and Tsubaki want to sit beside her, Ema ends up sitting between them. She has watched the movie before, but she decides to keep quiet so she won't ruin everyone's festive mood. Ema actually loves the movie, but knowing what's going to happen next, combined with the fact that she used up all of her energy in the kitchen today, soon causes her to fall asleep. Tsubaki wants to take a picture of Ema's sleeping face, but everyone stops him knowing he's going to use it for "questionable things." ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ As much as they want to take her back to her room, they don't have the heart to wake her up. Just then Subaru enters the living room, and when he sees Ema sleeping on the couch.. both Tsubaki and Kaname suddenly get a wonderful idea. They say they're busy watching the movie right now, and so Subaru should carry Ema back to her room. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ They also add that Ema might catch a cold if he lets her sleep here, so eventually Subaru agrees and carries her princess-style. He blushes when Rui says that he looks like a prince, and Kaname covers up Yusuke's eyes saying the sight is "too stimulating" for the latter.

**Tsubaki:** "Subaru~! Don't do anything weird in her room, okay?"  
**Subaru:** "N-No way!"  
**Kaname:** "Good for you, Suba-chan. Now you have a memorable Christmas Eve."  
**Subaru:** "Shut up!" Σ(〃д〃)

Subaru then carries Ema downstairs, and soon she wakes up still in his arms. She's obviously surprised, and he panics saying he's not doing anything weird to her. He can't enter her room since the door is locked, so he was only looking for the key in her pocket — "I-I-I-It's not like I'm touching you because I have ulterior motives!" (❤ฺ￫艸￩) When Ema thanks Subaru and asks if she's heavy, he says she's so light that he's worried if she's eating properly. She reminds him that he said the same thing back at the beach, and he nervously replies that it's all good if she eats properly. Subaru then says he's going back to the living room, because Tsubaki will tease him for good if he stays with Ema for too long. Of course Ema is confused since she doesn't know what happened earlier, and Subaru flees before she could ask him anything.

**[ New Year's ]**

On New Year's Day, everyone goes to pray at the shrine together. Along the way, Juli points out that some drunken delinquents have been eyeing Ema for a while. He's planning to torture them by himself, but apparently he's not the only one who notices. Subaru soon comes to see Ema — accidentally kicking Juli away in the process — and holds her hand, staying beside her so the delinquents won't come to disturb her. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Juli quickly runs back and rages at how Subaru uses the chance to hold hands with Ema, but Ema tells him to behave because Subaru was the one who saved her. Subaru also invites Ema to pray together, and they blush like tomatoes when she reminds him that they're still holding hands. He says they should keep holding hands to fool the delinquents though, and Juli rages even more when she agrees LOL. Kaname and Tsubaki eventually come to see what's happening, and they obviously tease Ema and Subaru for holding hands.. but Ema is happy that she can spend the beginning of the new year with Subaru.

**[ Slump ]**

On January 12, Yusuke asks if he can join Subaru for practice today. They play 1-on-1 at the park, where Yusuke comments that Subaru is just as strong as usual.. but he doesn't seem to be doing well today. It's rather unusual for Subaru to get into a slump, and Yusuke wonders if something happened to him. Subaru only says it's nothing, though he's aware that he might get removed from the starting lineup if this continues. None of his three points enter the ring, so all of his teammates and coach have been worried about him. Subaru isn't sure about the reason either, but he seems to realize that it's got something to do with Ema. He asks Yusuke to leave him alone for now, so Yusuke has no choice but to let him practice by himself.

**[ Subaru's Condition ]**

The next day, January 13, Ema visits the park after school hoping to see Subaru there. Subaru is practicing as usual, but then Ema realizes that he keeps missing.. and she can't bear to see him with such a sad expression. Knowing there's nothing she can do for him, Ema decides to go home without saying anything to Subaru. She runs into Yusuke in front of the mansion, and since she left school earlier than he did, he then asks if she dropped by somewhere along the way home. When Ema told him about what she saw earlier, Yusuke explains that Subaru has been in a bad condition lately. His position in the team is in danger, but there's nothing they can do to help. It's a problem that Subaru needs to solve by himself, and everything people say will only be a pressure for him. However, Yusuke also drops a hint that Subaru might be happy if Ema stays beside him. A man will feel pathetic when he's in a slump, so rather than comforting him, it will be much better if she smiles beside him — because men are simple like that.

Yusuke then asks Ema to by Subaru's side, only to realize that his advice might cause them to fall in love with each other. Which means he just destroyed his own chance to be with her. He wants to think that Subaru won't fall in love with Ema, but he nearly cries when Ema says that she'll do her best to support Subaru. Poor guy. ｡ﾟ+(｡ﾉдヽ｡)ﾟ+｡ Subaru stayed beside her when she had to face the shocking truth, so now it's her turn to stay with him during the hard times.

**[ Valentine's Day ]**

For Valentine's Day, Ema gives a handmade chocolate to Subaru. She gathers up the courage to hand it to him, which causes him to go "Huh..!? C-Chocolate..!? Eh? Then.. It means, um.." as he blushes in front of her. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) He asks if it's really okay for him to accept it, and he shyly thanks her when she says yes. Ema also thinks that a chocolate that's not too sweet might be better for Subaru, so she reduced the amount of sugar she used. Subaru didn't expect Ema to go that far just for him, and he promises to eat her chocolate later.

**[ Because You're By My Side ]**

On March 6, Ema and Subaru visit the park after a date. He notices there are people practicing basketball nearby, and she takes him to drop by the ring since he seems curious. He probably doesn't notice, but he's been feeling uneasy all day. She actually finds it cute, but she doesn't say anything knowing he'll get angry. (〃ﾟ艸ﾟ):;* They find two little boys practicing basketball near the ring, and the sight reminds Subaru of his own childhood. He tells Ema that he started doing sports because of Natsume, whom he used to admire in the past. Natsume is so athletic and good in any sports, and Subaru's goal was to be just like him. Sadly, his admiration ended up getting trampled. Subaru was disillusioned by something Natsume did, and it put a strain on their relationship.

Just then the ball rolls towards Subaru, and he gets up to return it. He still hasn't got out of his slump, but somehow he can feel something different right now. After taking a deep breath, he shoots the ball towards the ring.. and it gets in. Earlier he got the feeling that his shoot will go in, and he's really surprised that his prediction comes true. Ema happily says his effort to train everyday must have taken him out of the slump, but Subaru whispers that it's not the reason. It's not because of his training, but because he's got her by his side today. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* He quickly says it's nothing though, and they walk home with her pondering about a lot of things. Ema is happy that Subaru finally recovers from his slump, but she can't help but to think about the meaning behind his words earlier.

**[ White Day ]**

On White Day, Subaru gives Ema some candies in a very cute wrapping. He blushes when he hands the present to her, and she knows that he probably got nervous too when he bought it. Subaru isn't sure what Ema likes, so he chose something he thinks she would love. When Ema happily thanks him, he nervously says he's glad she loves the present. Then he whispers that it makes him happy too to see her looking so delighted.

**[ University ]**

When the new school year begins, Ema becomes a third year student in Hinode High School. The third year students have to fill in their future career forms on April 12, and Ema thinks very carefully about what she wants to do after graduation. Mahoko suggests asking her brothers for advice, but Ema replies that most of them are too smart. Masaomi is from a medical school, Ukyou is from a law school, and everyone else are mostly from famous private universities. It reminds Ema that Subaru is attending a private university too, and she realizes that continuing her studies to Meiji University might be a good idea.

In the evening, Subaru finds Ema filling her form in the living room. He asks if she has decided on a university to attend, and she admits that she's thinking of going to Meiji University. Subaru thinks it's a pretty good choice, but he wonders if she has any specific reasons for choosing his university.. and she honestly answers it's because of him. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ Subaru seems to be enjoying his university life, the atmosphere looks pleasant, and it would be easy for Ema to attend from the mansion. Subaru blushes and asks if Ema wants to walk to the university with him, but then he suddenly says they can't do that. He just remembered that first year students and fourth year students have different campuses, and he asks her not to look so sad. It might be difficult for them to go to the university together, but they can always visit each other and have lunch together in the cafeteria. Besides, Subaru wants to stay with Ema as much as he can to make sure other guys won't bother her. ||萌||ョ´∀`。)萌えぇ～↑ Ema gets really pumped up after hearing those words, and she promises to study hard for the entrance exam. If she gets accepted into Meiji University, she's going to support Subaru and his basketball as much as she can.

**[ Three Points ]**

On April 23, Kaname mentions that Subaru will be playing in a match soon. It's a championship tournament for universities, and Subaru admits that he's still not doing well.. but they might let him play in the upcoming match. The match will take place at the end of the month, and if they allow him to play, he's going to give it his best despite his condition. Tsubaki and Kaname then ask Ema to watch the match and cheer for Subaru, adding that Subaru's shoots might or might not reach the ring depending on Ema's presence. (* ´艸`)ｸｽｯ Ema asks if she can come, and Subaru says he'll inform her once the time and place are decided. She also asks him to do his best, and when he thanks her..

**Kaname:** "I'll do my best for you, Ema."  
**Tsubaki:** "Subaru-san.. "  
**Subaru:** "Wha..!"  
**Tsubaki:** "Can you two go make your own world somewhere else?"

After more teasing from Kaname and Tsubaki, Subaru eventually promises that his three point shots won't miss if Ema comes to watch the match. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* Tsubaki comments that it's such a bold statement, and he also asks Ema to report the result to them later. Subaru flees to his room out of embarrassment, but Ema feels happy to hear such a promise from him — even though Tsubaki had to lure out the words from him.

**[ Always Beside Me ]**

On April 30, Ema goes to watch Subaru's match. His condition seems to be improving recently, but she's still worried about him. Before Subaru leaves in the morning, Ema gives him a charm that she made by herself. At first he's surprised, but then he thanks her saying the charm will help him to do even better than usual. (人´∀`) ゜'・:* After Subaru leaves, Iori comes saying he'll clean up the living room for today.. so Ema can leave early and make in time for the match. In front of the mansion, Ema also runs into Yusuke. She asks if he's not going to see the match today, but he sadly says he can't go. Because he knows that Subaru needs Ema and not him. Yusuke then asks Ema to support Subaru, and he runs off the moment she turns around. Poor guy must be so heartbroken.

Upon reaching the stadium, Ema hears some players from another team talking about how Meiji University's shooting guard is in a bad condition. She rushes inside when the match starts, but just as they said, Subaru's shoot accuracy still hasn't gotten back to normal yet. However, this changes the moment Subaru hears Ema's voice from the audience seat. His next shoot enters the ring, and confidence instantly returns to his eyes. The whole audience watches in awe as he scores three points one after another, eventually leading Meiji University to victory. Subaru goes to see Ema after the match, and he reveals that he was wearing her handmade charm during the match. Subaru also admits that he was worried at the beginning of the match, and his first shoot missed.. but upon hearing Ema's voice, he suddenly got overflowing confidence and strength. Her voice and her charm have brought out the best in him. Subaru thanks Ema for supporting him, and he laughs when she says she will never forget the match.

The match also made Subaru realize that as long as he's got Ema by his side, his shoots will never miss. He will always be in top condition, and he will be able to show her unforgettable matches like today.. so he asks her to stay by his side from now on. Subaru is shocked when Ema suddenly starts crying, but she says it's because she's happy to hear those words. Not knowing what to do, Subaru pats Ema's head saying it looks like he made her cry. When Ema says it _was_ him who made her cry, Subaru panics and apologizes LOL. She also tells him that she will come to watch all of his matches from now on, and she asks him to show her a lot of wonderful matches from now on. He laughs and promises that he will.

**[ Feelings That Won't Lose to Anyone ]**

After they started going out, Ema and Subaru have been watching a lot of basketball matches together. He invites her to watch a pro basketball league match one weekend, and he blushes as he asks her to have lunch together after the match. She happily accepts the invitation, and she says she'll think about the restaurant for their lunch until then. Since they're planning their next date in the living room, soon this happens:

**Kaname:** "Want to go and watch it together..?"  
**Tsubaki:** "Yes, of course."  
**Kaname:** "Um.. after the match, let's have lunch together.."  
**Kaname:** "Then after lunch, let's go to a hotel.."  
**Tsubaki:** "Ehh. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ﾔﾀﾞｧ Subaru-sa~n.

.and they ask Subaru to be ｲﾁｬｲﾁｬ with Ema only when they're not around. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.':;ﾌﾞｯ Subaru is surprised since they appeared out of the blue, but Tsubaki says they've been here right from the start. He just didn't realize since his love for Ema blocked them out of his vision. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Kaname also tells Subaru not to leave the restaurant checking to Ema, because it's a man's duty to prepare everything for a date. As Subaru blushes in the corner, Kaname asks what Ema loves from someone like him. He wonders if their dates are fun. Or if they can keep the conversation alive. Subaru protests saying the conversation never dies, but Tsubaki says they probably talk about basketball nonstop.. which is confirmed true by Ema LOL. Aside from general basketball, they also talked about university basketball and the pro league. (๑´ლ`๑) Subaru then escapes from the living room, while Tsubaki asks Ema to report the result of their date later. Don't worry, she rejects the idea right away.

The next weekend, Ema and Subaru watch the pro league match together. They have lunch at a restaurant that he chose, and they talk about the match as they walk home together. Subaru then tells Ema that he admires a player in the team they watched today, and he wants to be a pro basketball player too someday — hoping to play in the same team. Ema believes he will be able to reach that dream, and Subaru promises to do his best. Both for her and for himself too. Subaru also realizes that he hasn't told Ema how he feels, so he hugs her and says he loves her. He doesn't know how to make her happy like Kaname, and he can't think up of interesting topics like Tsubaki.. but his love for her will never lose to anyone. ﾟ+.ｏ(*萌´д`从´д`萌*)ｏ.+ﾟ He will always stay with her during the hard times, and he wants her to stay by his side at all times — sharing happiness and sadness together. Subaru then asks Ema to go out with him, and Ema answers with "I thought we're already dating." ｲﾔﾝ (*´∀`)σ)))))*3ﾟ),･´.､ He thanks her saying he's really happy, and they promise to stay together forever.

**[ Show It Through Action ]**

One day, Ema asks if Subaru is free the next weekend. She actually wants to ask him out on a date, but sadly he's busy with practice all week. Rui asks if he's really okay with that, since someone might steal his girlfriend if he doesn't treasure her. Tsubaki also heard from Yusuke that a classmate has confessed to Ema, and Subaru instantly goes Σ(llﾟдﾟﾉ)ﾉ ﾊｧｱ!? because he never heard about this. Ema admits that it's true, but she obviously rejected the guy saying she has Subaru, so she didn't tell him thinking it's not necessary to report such a thing. Subaru says it might be not important for her, but he thinks he has the right to know as her boyfriend. Ema apologizes for not telling him, but Rui asks Subaru not to get jealous, not to get angry and not to restraint. Tsubaki also adds that if he wants to keep Ema by his side all the time, Subaru needs to show his feelings through actions. If they're lovers, they have to be bold in showing their affection for each other. Just like how Tsubaki keeps clinging to Azusa and Ema.. though they're not lovers.

After chasing Tsubaki away from Ema, Subaru blushes and nervously takes Ema to talk in his room. She asks if he's still angry, but he says he's not angry — he only got jealous. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Subaru also realizes that Rui and Tsubaki are right, and he apologizes for leaving Ema alone to practice. However, Ema says that he got it all wrong. It's true that she feels lonely sometimes, but she loves Subaru because of his undying passion towards basketball. All that she wants is for him to continue doing his best, because her happiness is to stay by his side and watch him play. That being said, Ema admits that she will be even happier if Subaru shows his love through action from time to time. (๑´ლ`๑) Subaru looks rather reluctant, but then he tells Ema to close her eyes and kisses her on the.. forehead. Ema obviously goes ･･･(ﾟдﾟ ) and laughs at how cute he is, while Subaru blushes and asks her not to call him cute. Since she won't stop laughing, Subaru finally kisses Ema on the lips and asks if she's satisfied now.


	8. Chapter 8 Tsubaki & Azusa

BROTHERS CONFLICT Passion Pink – Tsubaki & Azusa

This is actually an alternate ending from Tsubaki's route, but I decided to make a separate post for it to avoid confusion. If you love Azusa and can't wait for Brilliant Blue, then this might help.

In order to get the twins' ending, make sure Azusa is at three hearts or above. High family love is required, so either max out the parameter or bring it to the dark pink area. The twins have a few events that will only appear if you do any family activities other than "雑談 / _chat_", so it'd be better if you raise the family love via other commands. If you fulfill the requirements, by the end of the game you should get this ending instead of the main / family ending.

**[ Happy Ending? ]**

At the end of April, Tsubaki clings to Azusa and asks the latter to help him practice. He jokingly comments that he doesn't mind practicing in their rooms — where they can be alone — and he tickles Azusa when the latter says they should just practice here in the living room. Soon they hear Ema laughing beside them, and when she says they get along really well..

**Tsubaki:** "Of course. Oh, what? Are you jealous? You love me that much~?"  
**Ema:** "N-No I don't!"  
**Azusa:** "You don't?"  
**Ema:** "Huh? … Azusa-san?"  
**Azusa:** "Just kidding. Hehe."

Your inner feelings are leaking through, Azusa.

Azusa then reminds Tsubaki that they have something to tell Ema, and they reveal that they're going to voice the main characters of a new series in autumn. Their characters are twins, but Azusa will be voicing the older one while Tsubaki voices the younger one. They accepted the offer knowing it will be interesting to switch roles, and they want Ema to listen to their acting.. because she's the one who pushes their backs to move forward. Ema is really happy to hear that she can help them, and she says she'll cook festive red rice tonight to celebrate their new series. Upon hearing this, Tsubaki admits that he really loves Ema's kindness. Before, Tsubaki always thought that Azusa is the only one who can understand him, but it's different now. As long as he's got Azusa and Ema by his side, Tsubaki feels that he can do anything. Following Tsubaki's confession, Azusa also admits that the same goes for him. He never felt passionate about anything — not even towards his job — but right now he wants to do his best for both Tsubaki and Ema because he loves both of them. It doesn't seem like they can part from each other, because they just love each other that much. (人´∀`) ゜'・:*

Then suddenly, both Tsubaki and Azusa asks how Ema feel towards them. At first Ema thinks they're asking her to choose one of them, but then both Tsubaki and Azusa confess that they love Ema and their twin — kissing her cheeks at the same time. Just like how Ema loves both of them, Tsubaki and Azusa can't choose between her and their twin.. so they decided to just treasure both. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ From now on, the three of them will always be together.

**Tsubaki:** "I love you. Please become ours."  
**Azusa:** "I love you. We belong to you."

When they ask for her answer, Ema finally tells Tsubaki and Azusa that she loves them. She can't think straight anymore as they hug and kiss her at the same time, and the only thing left on her mind is the sweet future which lies ahead for the three of them. Then she entrusts her body to them, and everything fades to black.


End file.
